


She Loves Me So (Hosie AU)

by sapphicpyro



Category: AU - Fandom, GirlxGirl - Fandom, Hope Mikaelson - Fandom, LGBTQ+ - Fandom, Legacies (TV 2018), Legacies - Fandom, Lesbians - Fandom, hosie - Fandom, josie saltzman - Fandom, sun and moon - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Endgame Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, F/F, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hosiewritings, Humor, Romance, Sapphic, Smut, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:54:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicpyro/pseuds/sapphicpyro
Summary: Humans change but do souls? From womb to tomb we are bound to others. Past and present. And by each crime and kindness we birth our future. Josie knows as much about her past as anyone else. That is, until a blue eyed girl appeared and changed the course of her life. Everything has a price. Even nature. Why do you think the sun dies every night to let the moon breathe? Will Josie change her fate or will she relive it again in the name of love?
Relationships: Hosie - Relationship
Comments: 19
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Follow @sapphicpyro on twitter for updates <3 also if ur a hosie I’ll follow back 😋

Prologue

Time itself is a concept just as life and death is. At least, that's what it was for two girls who couldn't be any more different. Slowly, and painfully, these too girls fell irrevocably and unconditionally in love. And because of that, it started the beginning to something that perhaps never had an ending.

Narrator's POV

It was a normal day like any other. Josie Saltzman was making her way through the mass of people in her local farmers market in a small Pueblo in Mexico. The 6-year old girl held her mother's hand as she watched all the people around her make purchases and conversate.

She followed her mother under the red tents of the bazaar as she gathered groceries. Her mother never let go of her hand unless she was buying something. And when her mother, Caroline finished making her last purchase of the day, she reached for her daughters hand to only realize that she was gone. She frantically looked around and fortunately, she was able to spot her daughter talking to an old woman between the mass of people. In a spring of panic, Caroline ran after Josie. The old woman seemed to be of no threat as she talked with such care and poise with the little girl, but Caroline couldn't help but imagine the worst. She'd heard of kidnappers in the area but that wasn't her main concern. She was worried that they had been found again. She ran to her like her life depended on it. Shoving her way through the mass of people until she was finally able grab hold of her daughters hand.

Josie looked up at her worried mother before the old woman who was wearing a shawl quickly rummaged through her pockets to hand the little girl a locket, "Solis, es para ti."

Josie looked down at the dainty sliver necklace in her hands. It was a sun that seems to be missing it's other half. The thing itself looked ancient. A little rusted, tarnished at the ends and a little bent. Before she was able to ask where the other half was, the old woman vanished. She'd become a part of the wave of people, finding her was impossible.

Caroline was already pulling her daughter in the other direction.

"Who was she?" Josie asked.

"No one," Caroline replied, "She's a stranger. I thought I told you not to speak to strangers?"

"Well now that we've met are we still considered strangers?"

"Yes, she will always be one. No matter how many times she crosses our path, you have to stay away. Okay?"

"Why?"

"Because she's dangerous."

"Dangerous? But she gave me this pretty necklace."

Caroline stopped to look at the object in the little girls hand before she snatched it.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry Joey but you can't have this."

"Why? It's mine!"

"Come on, you don't want this old thing, do you?"

Josie pouted and crossed her arms.

Caroline groaned before she gave in, "Fine. But I'll let you keep it on one condition."

The little girl smiled and nodded.

"You're never allowed to talk to her again . . . or any strangers for that matter," Her mother said dangling the necklace in front of her.

Josie had many questions. She didn't understand why her mother reacted that way or why she even cared so much about strangers. Sure, she was a little cautious as any mother would be but this time she never meant those words as much as she did today. 

The brown haired girl wanted to ask her mother more questions about the old woman but a part of her didn't care to know. All she really wanted was the necklace. There was something about it that she couldn't help but love. Something beyond her understanding. Something she wanted to come to know with time.

"Okay," Josie finally responded.

Her mother smiled and handed back the necklace to her daughter, "Okay, now let's go home so we can prepare dinner before your papa gets home."

The odds of seeing the old women again to any normal person would seem very slim. But to Josie Saltzman however, it was as if she never left. Used to her presence, Josie eventually stopped noticing her. Caroline however, couldn't help but notice her. There were various occasions where she fought with the old woman about who knows what. Country after country, Caroline attempted to escape the woman. She moved so much that she ended up in the same country three times just in a different state. However, fate was inescapable. But back then, Josie didn't know what they were running from.

At the end of the day, both of these women were trying to protect Josie. But with different motives. Motives that Josie didn't understand until the month after she turned 18.

Before then, Caroline moved her family away from Mexico to the states in an attempt to escape the older woman one last time. She figured that if keeping her daughter safe meant moving across the world, she'd do it a thousand times over because it was worth the struggle.

After the Saltzmans settled permanently in a cozy town in Virginia called Mystic Falls, Josie began to forget about the old woman. She became but a distant memory of a stranger who gave her a gift. That's all she remembered of her. And when Caroline became aware of this, she was more than glad. That however didn't last long. Just like most things in life don't. And that's because, no matter how much you try to keep the truth, or deny destiny, somehow, someway, it always finds a way back to you. The only way you can deny the hand of fate is by having the courage to fight for a new one. And Josie, had to learn that the hard way.

\--


	2. Chapter 2

********  
"We have to go now." A blue eyed girl said rushing into my corridor.

"What do you mean?"

"He knows. And when he comes back with his men he's going to kill you."

"How'd he find out?"

"One of the maids, the one that helps you dinner, she told my father. I guess she . . . she saw and heard things."

"When we?"

"Yes. There's no time to explain, you have to come with me."

"Where will we go?"

"The hell who knows. I just have to get you out of here."

"I'm scared."

"Don't be. Just trust me," The blue-eyed girl said extending out her hand.

I gripped the side of my dress as I hesitated to give her my hand. But looking into those eyes, God, they could convince me of anything.

And before I knew it, we were on a carriage and about to make our way to who knows where. And for a minute, I figured if spending the rest of my life running with this woman by my side then I'd be more than alright. I loved her. And I loved her in the way a woman shouldn't love another woman.

Just as she set the horses off, we heard hooves treading the ground behind us. Her father and his men were all ready on our tail and just as I grabbed onto her arm, she whipped them horses twice as hard as the first time to send us off down the path.

"YA CAN'T RUN AWAY. NOT FROM ME," Her fathers voice yelled.

The blue-eyed girl clenched her jaw just before we heard a gun shot go off. We both turned to look what had been hit and our wheel was giving out.

"Shit," She cursed.

"Calm down we can figure something out."

"There's no time for that," She said frantically looking around for an option.

"Baby-"

"You gotta jump off."

"What?"

"You gotta jump off."

"But-"

"There's a river down there at the edge of the curb on your side. Jump off and I'll hold them off."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be alright," She assured me with a small smile, "Always am."

"I can't lose you."

"And you won't. No matter what happens, I'll find you again."

I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to lose her.

"Love, you have to jump off now."

"I can't-"

"Do it for me."

"..."

"Please."

She looked at me with those blue eyes and I couldn't help but do what she asked.

****

Narrator's POV

"AHHHHH!" Josie screamed, jumping out and off her bed. She fell hard onto the floor and hit her elbow.

"Fuck!" She groaned as she held onto her arm.

"Joey? Are you alright?" Caroline asked from outside her door.

"Yeah I just . . . I had another dream."

"About that girl again?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. It was just a dream. They always are. Come down, breakfast is ready."

"Okay," Josie said before she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

Josie knew it wasn't just a dream. It's one thing to dream about a girl you never met once, but three or four times in the span of a month? It was just too coincidental. But Josie couldn't even begin to piece together why or remember who they girl was.

Each dream started off somewhat the same. The two girls were running from something, hiding, and fighting for their love until the universe somehow messed it all up for them. Each time, someone died. And each time, it was always Josie. At first Josie thought that she'd just been going through a phase of nightmares. But these nightmares just seemed too . . . real and too familiar. They were almost like disoriented memories that we're starting to come back to her. But then again, that explanation in itself sounded preposterous. Josie was never in any of those places at those times. So it couldn't of really happened, right?

Of course not. Josie couldn't help but think just as her final class of the school day was coming to a close.

Josie gathered her things and then rode her bike over to do her usual shift at a small bookshop downtown. The shop was old, a little dusty, and incredibly messy. It belonged to an old woman, about 80 years old who barely kept tabs on the store. 

When Josie first came to the shop, she was nothing but a costumer. She spent countless hours between the aisles of the wooden bookshelves sitting on the ground reading books about anything and everything she could get her hands on. Naturally, the owner hired her once she'd grown tired of keeping the shop herself.

There was something about the smell of books that made Josie smile. The paper, the print, how if you chose just the right book it could make you sob and smile all at once. So working there wasn't much of a chore but rather an afterschool hobby that she just happened to be getting paid for.

The afternoon was passing by as it usually did, mostly quiet with the sound of maybe two or three footsteps every other hour. Josie spent most of her shift reading at the check stand since there was usually never much to be done around the store besides lazily dusting off shelves and organizing a couple books every now and then.

It was a quarter past eight and Josie started to wrap up the book she was reading. Before she finished the last sentence, her ears perked up at the sound of the wind chime that hung beside the door. She sighed and sat back down to read again. She figured that the customer would probably quickly browse, get bored and leave. However, to her surprise, she was wrong.

Five minutes turned into twenty and twenty turned into forty past. 

I don't get paid for overtime. Josie thought to herself before pushing up her round reading glasses.

Impatiently, Josie bent over the check stand to see if she could spot the costumer in between one of the aisles, but she had no luck. Just to be sure that she wouldn't miss out on a sale, she waited ten more minutes for her to show. 

Thinking that maybe the customer had left when she wasn't paying attention, Josie started to gather up her things. She picked up her backpack from the ground and without looking tried to grab her book but instead knocked over her cup of coffee with her hand.

"Shit," Josie mumbled to herself before she turned around and realized that she had stained some of the pages of her book. 

She scrambled around to look for paper towels before a smooth, velvety voice said, "I didn't know people liked their coffee in their books."

Josie looked up to meet the blue eyes she knew so well. She froze, staring right at the person she'd been dreaming about for months now. The girl with the pale skin, copper red hair and blue eyes. She was more beautiful than she'd hoped. She had a round face, a jawline that could cut through steel and thick eyebrows that accentuated her face perfectly. She was wearing a black leather jacket, a t-shirt, blue denim jeans and pair of black boots . . . nothing like the person she'd dreamt of before. She wasn't the same and yet, Josie could swear that the girl in front of her was the same person that haunted her dreams. Either way, Josie just couldn't stop looking at her. There was something so fascinating, no . . . something so mesmerizing about her that she couldn't explain. Something so profound that went above her physical being.

"Hello?" The blue-eyed girl interrupted.

Josie snapped out of her deep thoughts and replied, "Sorry, you just look very . . . familiar."

The blue-eyed girl smirked, "That's weird because I feel like if we'd met before, I'd remember someone like you."

Josie's eyebrow rose in response to her costumers' attempt at flirting.

"You know how long I've been waiting for you to finally come up here?" Josie couldn't help but address as she dried off the counter with a paper towel, "My shift ended over an hour ago."

The blue-eyed girl couldn't help but smile, "Holy shit. Really? I'm sorry. I just got caught up in this book I was reading."

"Which one?"

The girl shrugged, "Eh, just some book about latin myths."

"Latin? People our age still read stuff like that?"

The blue-eyed girl smiled, "Well, what can I say, I'm full of surprises."

Josie couldn't help but giggle.

"What?"

"I don't think a lot of people consider knowing Latin cool or charming. It's a dead language."

The girl smirked, "Yeah well a lot of people don't know how to have fun anymore."

Josie playfully rolled her eyes, "You sure have a weird meaning of fun," She said before meeting those blue eyes again. 

Her chest tightened up, almost as if an overwhelming rush of sadness filled her heart. Something about this girl made her heart want to scream. 

"So without a name tag, how will I know what to call you?" The blue-eyed girl suddenly said.

Josie shook her head before she looked down at her shirt and realized the girl was right. She'd forgotten to bring her name tag, again.

"Josie," She finally replied.

The girl smirked before she took an old receipt from her pocket and wrote down her number. She slid the piece of paper over to her, "I'm Hope. Hope Mikaelson."

Josie blushed and just as she was going to reply, there was a loud knock outside the shop window.

They both turned to meet an older woman who was in her late 40's urgently weaving at Hope as if she wanted her to come out.

Hope turned to look back at Josie and said, "Sorry, that's my aunt shes a little . . . intense. Uh," Hope stopped as she decided what to do with the book in her hands, "I'll come back for this." She assured Josie before placing the book on the counter.

"It was nice meeting you. Maybe next time I can get you another cup of coffee since you spilled that one all over your book," Hope smiled.

"Maybe." Josie teased, " I don't know if I'm into girls who keep people waiting."

"Well, next time I won't," Hope winked before turned around and made her way outside.

Josie couldn't help but smile at that. There was something about Hope that drew her in. Something about the way the corners of her mouth wrinkle when she smirks and the way those blue eyes looked at her. The same way they've always have. She looked down at the receipt where Hope had written down her number before shaking her head. She slipped the number into the fold of her book as a bookmark.

"It'll be more of use in here," She said to herself.

—

A week passed and Josie didn't call. There was something too painful, something too haunting about Hope that made Josie feel as if there was something off about her. It was as if her head was telling her to stay away but ever other cell in her body was screaming at the brown eyed girl to see her again. But either way, Josie didn't want to spend another second thinking about the girl with the sparkling blue eyes . . . it made her sick.

Later at school, Josie met up with her friends during lunch time. At the table sat Lizzie a tall blonde with fierce eyes and Lola a blue-haired girl with an olive complexion.

"Did you hear about that new transfer?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, I heard she's hot," Lola interjected. 

"Artie from Biology told me a lot of the guys here already have an eye on her," Lizzie said.

"Pfft. Well they better get in line," Lola said.

Josie laughed at Lola's response, "That's so gay of you to say."

"Look who's talking," Lola smirked, "I bet if you'd seen her you'd say the same thing."

"She can't be that hot if I haven't already noticed her," Josie said.

"Well I saw her and to tell you the truth she even has me questioning," Lizzie revealed.

Josie rolled her eyes, "Alright then, what's she look like?"

"Well first of all-" Lola began just before Lizzie hit her arm.

"Shhh! Look. She just walked in!" Lizzie loudly whispered.

Lola turned back to look at her while Josie held her breath when she say the red haired girl from the book store walk in. 

Hope looked as beautiful as ever. Her wavy hair flowed down her back as she strutted down the cafeteria with a pair of checkered slip ons, ripped jeans, retro t-shirt and leather jacket. Her blue eyes scanned the cafeteria to find an available seat, they searched and roamed until blue eyes met brown. 

Josie immediately turned around and covered her face with her hand.

Lola's neck snapped to look back at Josie after she saw the exchange, "Um . . . excuse me Saltzman, what the hell was that?"

"Do you know her?" Lizzie asked.

Josie nodded and said "Kind of. I met her at the book store."

Lola raised her brow in amusement, "And?"

"Nothing. She just came to get a book. That's it."

"Then why are you hiding?" Lizzie pressed further.

"Because she's got the hots for the new girl." Lola replied for her.

"Please tell me she's not walking over here," Josie whispered.

"No, she sat at Brents table. Looks like she's chatting Rebecca up," Lizzie informed her.

"And Brent's shook! Look at his face!" Lola said.

"So does that mean she's gay?" Lizzie asked.

"I don't know, maybe she was just being friendly? It was kind of hard to tell but if you ask me-" Lola began to say.

"She's definitely into girls," Josie interrupted.

"Oh yeah?" Lola smirked, "How would you know that?"

"She gave me her number at the book store."

"SHE WHAT?" Lizzie almost spit out her drink.

"Don't make a big deal out of it. I didn't call her back."

"Bitch what do you mean?" Lola said, "If you don't want a chance at that, be a pal and introduce me."

Josie rolled her eyes, "Beauty's not everything, you know."

"What? Is she a bitch or something?" Lizzie asked.

"No," Josie quickly replied, "It's just . . . there's something about her that makes me uneasy."

"Like what?" Lola asked.

"I don't know. It's just a gut feeling," Josie shrugged.

"Lame," Lola replied.

"Not all of us think with with our pants, Lola." Lizzie teased.

"Hey! I do have a heart, ya know."

Josie laughed.

"Oh shit. Look at the back of her jacket," Lola suddenly said.

Lizzie and Josie turned around to look.

"She's a howler," Lizzie said referring to the gang logo on the blue-eyed girl's back. 

"She's a howler? I didn't see that coming," Josie said, "See I knew there was something about her that didn't sit well with me." 

"Shit, I think she's walking over here," Lola said.

Josie's eyes widened before she hid under the table.

"Oh no, just kidding. She just threw away some trash," Lola said.

"You can come out now, Saltzman," Lizzie said.

Josie sighed in relief before she got out from under the table and grabbed her things.

"Where are you going?" Lola asked.

"To hide in a classroom where I won't run into her," Josie said.

"Want us to come with?" Lola asked.

"No, I have to go to my locker first before class starts to pick up my book and that's kind of out of the way for you theatre geeks."

Lola rolled her eyes, "It's not our fault you didn't want to take the class with us. It's an easy A!"

"I need as many advanced classes as I can get if I want to get into a College with a pre-vet program."

"Whatever nerd," Lola said before turning to Lizzie, "Let's head to class too, we have five minutes till and that damn class is so far from everything around here."

"That's a little dramatic don't you think," Josie said.

"Well hell then I guess I took the right class then, huh?" Lola said before she grabbed her lunch tray, "See ya on the flipped side Saltzman."

"Text me later Josie. Maybe you can come over and watch some movies with us if you get off early enough," Lizzie said before she followed Lola in suit.

Josie smiled and nodded before she left the cafeteria. 

The hallways were nearly empty. Josie quickly made her way to her locker so that she could grab her book. However like every other evening, it was jammed.

She clenched her jaw and glared at it before she murmured, "Oh so that's how you wanna play it huh?"

And just as she struggled to pry it open, someone opened it for her with one single bang of a fist.

She sighed in relief and was about to thank them before she met the blue eyes that had been haunting her for weeks.

Her jaw dropped at the gorgeous being she'd only met once but already knew so well.

"I think the word they use where I'm from is thank you," Hope smirked.

The simple sound of her voice gave the brown-eyed girl chills and practically turned her pale, "I-um-I"

In response to her odd color, the blue-eyed girl pressed her forehead against Josie's and said, "You don't look so good . . . but your temp is fine."

Josie backed away from her and stuttered, "I-I'm fine. Thank you."

"No problem. But are you sure you're okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Uh yeah sorry. You just scared me. That's all," Josie blushed, "I didn't think anyone would be here, it's usually just me and a few other of the same faces."

"Well I came to drop off a book in my locker and noticed you were struggling with yours." Hope replied.

"Don't tell me-"

"Yep. My lockers right next door," Hope interrupted. 

"Wait so did you just moved here?"

"Yes and no. I've lived here since I was a kid but for work reasons I left for a while and went to the high school a town over. I got back a week ago and enrolled here," Hope explained.

"Oh, I see. I didn't imagine I'd see you again. Especially not here," Josie said.

"Yeah I didn't know you went here but I guess things happen for a reason."

"And what might that be?"

"I don't know," Hope replied before changing the subject, "Say, could you help me find this room?" She asked before handing Josie her schedule.

Are you fucking kidding me.

"I have the same class. I'll take you there let me just get my book."

"You know I'm kind of upset I couldn't take a Latin class. They dont offer any here," Hope brought up.

Josie knew where this was going. She was probably going to ask why she hadn't called her back.

"So, has town changed since you've seen it last?" Josie quickly changed the subject.

Hope smirked, "You know, I went to this really cool book store a couple of days ago and met this really cute girl. I gave her my number but I haven't heard back from her."

Josie tensed, "Maybe if you were a little bit more patient, she'd consider it."

"What's there to consider?"

"I-" Josie began to say before the blue-eyed girl stepped in front of her and leaned her arm against the lockers. Their faces just inches apart.

"I'd say there's nothing left to say but yes."

Josie's breath hitched. Hope's lips were so close to hers.

Hope's lips curled up in a satisfied smile before she stepped back.

"Glad to know you're into me," Hope suddenly said.

Caught, Josie avoided her gaze and huffed, "As if."

"What are you so afraid of?" Hope couldn't help but ask.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw you hide under the table when I went to throw away my food tray. What's your deal? Is there something you're hiding?"

"If you think I have a little crush on you or something you're wrong," Josie replied.

"Then why are you trembling?"

Josie looked down at her hands and Hope was right. Josie was prone to anxiety and anytime Hope was near her, she was triggered again.

The bell rang and snapped Josie out of her trance.

"I-I gotta go," Josie said before closing her locker and walking away.

"So much for showing me the way," Hope yelled after her before she grabbed her things and figured it out herself.

After school, Josie was walking to the bike rack behind the cafeteria when she noticed a certain red head talking to a group of people outside. Josie narrowed her eyes to see who Hope was hanging around with. All of them were wearing jackets with the howler logo on them.

"Of course," Josie said to herself feeling stupid for not having remembered that Hope was in the pack. A gang that caused trouble and havoc in town. They went by the howlers. Josie didn't have any thing particularly against them but her mother did. She hated them and called them delinquents. Wanting to avoid problems, she unlocked her bike and hopped on it. Hope noticed the movement in the corner of her eye and looked over to see that Josie was about to take off. She excused herself and pushed through her group of friends and ran to Josie, waving a hand in the air to catch her attention.

Josie turned to meet Hope's gaze, "Yeah?"

"You owe me a tour."

Josie laughed, "You're persistent, aren't you?"

Hope shrugged, "I have to be or how else will I get your attention?"

"How many other girls have you told the same thing?"

"What do you mean?" Hope asked almost offended.

"Well you're pretty popular y'know and you are a howler."

Hope quirked her brow up and crossed her arms, "Just because I'm a howler that doesn't mean I'm a fuckboy."

Josie shrugged, "Maybe, but why stick around and find out?"

"Cuz maybe you'll find something you like."

Josie playfully rolled her eyes. 

"Fine, it's a date."

"A date?" Hope asked unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.

"Well that depends. If you're just gonna stand there . . ." Josie began as she started to pedal, "I guess I'm gonna have leave you behind," She shrugged with a playful smile before peddling forward.

Hope quirked her brow and smirked at Josie's response, "Not a chance." She replied.

"Then you better keep up with me Mikaelson!" Josie yelled behind her.

The blue-eyed girl smiled at the brunette's words before she thought, Oh dont worry, I've done it before.

\--


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow @gaypyromanaic on Twitter for updates and queries <3

Narrator's POV

After school, Josie peddled to the mystic grill, with Hope following behind her in persuit.

"God, I thought you were going to lap around for five more blocks," Hope said before bending over to catch her breathe.

"I'm not that mean," Josie assured her, "Besides its only fair that I hold up my end of the deal."

"It better be worth it Saltzman. You had me running after you like a dog."

"Well that's what you are, aren't you?" Josie said referencing the name of her gang.

Hope glared at her.

"Relax, I'm kidding."

"Whatever, I'm never chasing after you again."

"Okay, I'll admit that was pretty mean of me to do."

"Thanks," Hope dryly replied.

"Look, I'll make it up to you. Let me buy you a shake."

"Fine, but you better call me after this," Hope told her.

But she didn't. Though both of the girls had a fun time at the grill, Josie couldn't allow herself to become involved with Hope. On one end, there was something about Hope that worried her. Something that fundamentally hurt her in a way she couldn't really describe. Maybe she just looked too much like the girl she always dreamt of. Maybe that's where the fear was stemming from. More importantly, she was a howler. Her mother would kill her if she knew she'd been hanging around with a girl like that. So it had to be this way. It was the only way.

—

The next morning, Josie had another dream. Scratch that, a nightmare. 

She was laying on a deer skin bed in a hut in the middle of the forest. Her abdomen bleeding out from what seemed to be an animal attack.

"Don't . . ." The brunette struggled to say, "Don't be scared."

"I can get help-I-" The blue-eyed girl panicked.

"No, if-" The brunette said before she tightly closed her eyes and clenched her teeth in response to the sharp pain in her abdomen, "Ugh," She groaned, "if any of my people see you they'll kill you."

"I can't just sit here and watch you die." The blue-eyed girl almost cried.

Josie clenched the sheets of her bed and furrowed her brows as though she felt the pain of her dream overcome her physical body. She felt the wound, sure, but what hurt the most was her heart. She didn't want to leave the blue-eyed girl. But just like every night she dreamt, it seemed inevitable. It was a fate they couldn't escape. A fate that followed them since the beginning of time.

And that fate was death. The universe had it out for those two. No matter how much they tried to fight it, or how much they ran away from it. Death was inescapable, untouchable, and unfreeable. Just like their love.

"Joey I swear to god this is the last time I'm gonna call you down for breakfast! Hurry down before I drag you down!" Caroline yelled for the third time.

Josie instantly jumped up in response.  
She then sat up and pulled up her shirt to look at her bare, and perfectly fine abdomen. She sighed in relief. It was just a dream, as always.

"Joey?"

"Okay!" She groaned before she took a deep breath to re position herself back into reality.

On her way to school, Josie was ridding her pale blue beach cruiser on the sidewalk as she let herself become indulged by the moment. The seaside air blowing through her dark locks as she smiled blissfully to herself. The day was getting better already, that is, until Josie hit something that caused her to fall off her bike.

"Shit," She groaned, holding onto her arm.

"Josie?"

Josie whipped her head in the direction of that voice.

It was Hope.

"Hope? Oh my god are you okay?" The brunette asked running over to her.

"I'm okay, I might have a nasty scrape on my leg but I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," She assured me, "Plus . . . maybe it'll scar and impress the ladies."

Josie playfully rolled her eyes, "Atleast I know thats its really because you got hit by a bike."

"I have plenty more tricks where that came from."

"Oh please, you? Tricks?" Josie played along.

"Yeah, well maybe if you come by my place sometime I can show you I'm really made of."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Call it whatever you want."

"I'll consider your offer."

Hope smirked, "Damn, well I wasn't expecting that."

"You know, we really have to stop meeting like this," Josie said helping the blue-eyed girl up.

"Like what?"

"It seems like I can't get away from you, no matter where I go," Josie accidentally revealed before she mentally cursed herself for bringing up what Hope didn't even know.

"Maybe that's the thing," Hope replied, "Maybe you're supposed to be with me. It seems to be what the universe wants."

Josie's lips parted. It was as if shes heard those words before. But where?

"Yeah right," Josie quipped, ignoring her deja vu.

"Ouch. Aren't you a little heart breaker."

The brunette rolled her eyes.

"After you hit me with your bike and everything? Man, you're lucky I'm not gonna file a law suit."

"What's stopping you?"

"The fact that I might be able to take you out on a real date."

Josie's face flushed.

"But I mean it's cool if you don't wanna since you know, you haven't called me back yet."

Josie glared at her.

"What?"

"I hate you."

An amused smile spread across Hope's face, "Why?"

"Because you're so . . . you're so . . ." Josie tried to find the words to describe her.

"Hot? Mysterious?"

"I was going to say something like forward or cocky but sure."

Hope was about to reply before she noticed the locket around the brunette's neck.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Oh this?" Josie asked holding it up.

"Yeah."

"When I was younger, an old lady gave it to me. I don't remember why though."

"Hmmph," Hope said.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Well, its getting late so I guess I'll see you around? Actually no, we'll bump into each other sooner or later anyway," Josie said.

"What that's it? You're just gonna hit and run?" Hope teased her.

"Yeah, it'll give you a reason to find me later."

Hope cocked her head to the side in surprise of the other girls response before stepping forward and saying, "You like playing hard to get, don't you? First you leave my hanging and then you leave me to fend for myself on my first day of classes." 

Josie rolled her eyes, " You're just not really my type."

Hope raised her brow, "Oh really? And why's that?"

"You're so into yourself because you know you're hot and you apparently like to keep people waiting. Oh, and to top it off you're a howler."

"And you run people over with your bike. We're not all perfect, you know."

"Well aren't you modest," Josie quipped.

Hope rolled her eyes as she tried to contain the smile on her face, "You're making it really hard not to like you."

"Like me? You don't even know me."

"I think I know you better than you think," Hope replied.

"Oh yeah? Then what's my favorite brand of instant ramen?" Josie challenged.

"How the heck am I supposed to know that?"

"See? You don't know me," Josie grinned.

"That a cheap shot."

"That's what you get for trying to flirt with me."

Hope shook her head before she turned to look at the motorcycle parked on the curb, "So I was going to drive to school before you ran me over . . . wanna lift?"

"Wait you live here?" Josie asked looking at the newly furnished apartment building beside them.

"Yeah, why? Did you think I was just walking down the street?"

"Kind of."

"Well, I was just trying to get to my bike before you know . . ."

"Sorry about that again," Josie nervously laughed as she scratched the back of her neck, "I kinda wasn't paying attention when I was on that thing."

"Well, since you're pretty accident prone, it would really suck if anything happened to that pretty face, so let me give you a ride." She insisted.

Josie blushed, "No, it's okay."

"Come on, it's the least I can do."

"For what? Almost getting ran over?"

"Yep."

"Shouldn't I be the one offering you something?"

"You're right . . ." Hope said before a mischievous smirk formed on her lips, "How about a date?"

"A date?"

"Yeah, tomorrow night."

"Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Josie hesitated, but only because she didn't really know Hope and everything about her scared the living hell out of her. She was going to refuse but then she looked back into those blue eyes she knew so well. 

Fuck it.

"Fine," She agreed, "But only because I feel bad about what I did."

Hope smirked, "Geez, well if you feel like you're doing me a favor-"

"No," Josie interrupted, "I want too."

"Kay, then seven it is."

"This doesn't mean I like you, you know."

Hope smiled at that before she reached into her pocket and pulled out her keys, "We'll see about that," She said before getting on her motorcycle.

Josie quirked her brow in amusement.

"Hop on. You can lock your bike up at the gate in front of my apartment and pick it up after school."

"Alright, just don't kill me," Josie told her.

Hope's smile fell. Something about her response made her feel guilty as if she was hiding something. But Hope didn't like to see it that way, or else falling in love would be harder than it already was.

—

When the girls pulled up to the parking lot everyone around them stared. 

"Just ignore them." Hope told Josie, "I'm new here and they barely know anything about me. They just want something to talk about," She said before putting on her sunglasses and hopping off. 

Josie did the same before they both walked towards the school doors. 

Hope placed her arm around Josie and mischievously smiled as she made eye contact with some of the people who were staring.

Josie gently pushed Hope away and whispered, "Are you serious?"

"What? We might as well give them something to look at? It's not like anything else will help. Plus, I told those preppy kids I was a gay yesterday. You should've seen their faces. The news probably spread around fast."

"No wonder you were flirting with Rebecca yesterday."

"I only did it because I knew you were watching," Hope admitted.

Josie looked away embarrassed, "You're so annoying."

Hope smiled at that.

Josie made eye contact with Lola and Lizzie who were as shocked as everyone else as they watched the pair walk through the hall. Josie quickly avoided their gaze, hoping she could hide from everyone for just a bit longer.

At lunchtime, Josie was sitting with her friends. Lola and Lizzie kept barading her with questions about the new girl. 

"Where is she taking you for your date?" Lizzie asked.

"Heck if I know," Josie replied.

"Oh, so it's a surprise. You know I didn't peg Hope as the romantic type." The blue-haired girl said.

"She's not. I mean at least I don't think she is," Josie said, "Besides, it's just a date. It's not like anything will come of it."

"You mean to tell me that you're risking dating a howler for nothing?" Lizzie asked.

"I'm only going on a date because I ran her over with my bike this morning-" Josie replied.

"You what?" Lola asked before shaking her head and saying, "You know what? I don't even wanna know. But I do want you to tell me one thing. What's wrong with her? She's hot. So I don't get it. Why are you so against seeing her?"

"Well for starters, she's full of herself. She thinks she can get whatever she wants if she batts her eyelashes the right way-"

"Because she can," Lola interrupted.

"And besides that, we're just so different. She's this cool bad girl who rides motorcycles and me, well I just like reading books and binge Netflix while I eat a pint of ice cream by myself."

"Didn't you meet her at the bookstore?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah, but she reads, so do you. That's doesn't mean we're compatible," Josie replied, "Besides I just don't think it's gonna work out. She'll probably have a new girl by the end of the week. She probably only likes me because I'm playing hard to get."

"You don't give yourself enough credit Josie, you're a total cutie," Lola told her.

Josie rolled her eyes, "Thanks. Tell that to all my admirers."

"You know, you'd be more popular with girls if you actually talked to them. Instead you just write your stories and ignore the world around you."

"Hey, one day one of my books is gonna become a hit movie," Josie pointed.

"Lizzie's right. You don't put yourself out there, and now you've met someone who forced you out of your hiding place. If that's not a sign I don't know what is," Lola shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe Hope being your total opposite is a good thing. Sometimes people can compliment each other without being similar at all, you know. In fact, sometimes it helps balance things out," Lizzie added.

"Tch. Whatever." Josie said, "I'd be caught dead before you see me under a howler's arm."

—

The next night, Josie got dressed for her date. She wore a jean jacket with a white v-neck crop top, black jeans and a pair of sneakers. She didn't think she needed to dress up for someone like Hope. Heck, if anything Hope would probably end up taking her to Marty's Burger shoppe. After all, Mystic Falls was a place where you couldn't really do anything fun. It was a small town that if you weren't paying attention, you'd probably miss the only stop available for another fifth-teen miles. 

Josie suddenly heard her phone buzz. She looked at text that showed up. It was Hope, who by the way, was forced to text in order to confirm the details of their date. 

She was already parked in her driveway.

Crap. Josie thought.

She quickly ran down stairs in an attempt to get past her mother before she noticed but just as she reached for the door knob Caroline said, "Joey, why the hell is there a motorcycle in our drive way?"

Josie stopped in her tracks. Without turning around to face her mother she replied, "Just a friend from school. We're going to meet up with Lola and Lizzie downtown."

"In that?" Caroline couldn't help but point out the raving black bike.

"No. We're car pooling. This is the rendezvous point. She's gonna leave it here," She lied.

She could feel her mother's glare melt holes behind her head.

"Oh, I think I see Lola. Bye mom!" Josie said before she quickly made her way out and hopped on Hope's bike. 

Hope gave her a helmet to put on. Josie quickly did so and then wrapped her arms around Hope's slender waist.

Without another word, Hope started the engine and drove down Josie's street and onto the free way. The brunette kept her head down the whole way until they came to a stop.

Hope turned off the bike and took off her helmet. Her hair as perfect as it was before she got helmet head. Josie however, had frizzy hair due to it. She quickly tried to fix her hair before hopping off the bike and giving Hope the helmet to put away.

Hope the turned around and asked, "Why were you in such a hurry to leave your house?"

"My mom hates motorcycles."

"Why?" Hope asked.

"Because she's kinda old school."

Hope shrugged, "Fair enough. Lots of moms hate me."

Josie cracked a smile at that, "Well that's comforting," she teased.

Hope laughed, "Come on, let's get going before it gets dark."

"Where are we going? Aren't we already here?"

"Pfft, you think the side of the highway is a place for a lady like you?"

"Well, I didn't expect you to bring me to the forest to begin with."

"I know it seems suspicious but I swear I'm not gonna murder you."

"This is exactly how every horror movie starts."

Hope held out her hand for Josie to hold, "I promise it's safe. Come on,"

Josie hesitated at first but eventually gave in and took her hand.

Hope intertwined their hands and led her deep into the forest. They hiked through it for what seemed a half an hour before they stumbled across a waterfall. They were standing just beside it at the very top. Josie's mouth fell open and it wasn't because she was surprised but more so because she was afraid of heights and didn't anticipate it.

"What's wrong?" Hope asked her.

"Nothing I'm just sort of afraid of heights."

Hope laughed, "Geez then I guess you're not gonna like what I'm gonna say next."

"Oh god."

"Just hear me out," Hope tried to calm her, "We strip down and jump."

"That wasn't really convincing."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Fun?! You're crazy."

"Maybe but the only way you can face your fears is if you jump right into them."

Josie bit her lip before crossing her arms, "Nice try, but I'm not gonna do it."

"Well what if . . ." Hope began as she started to undress herself, "I told you . . ." She continued now taking off her jeans and stripping down to her underwear, "that I don't know how to swim?"

"You're lying," Josie replied as her eyes scanned the other girl's body.

"You like what you see?"

"Maybe."

"Then you better come save me," Hope told before she ran to the edge and jumped off.

Josie ran after her and looked over the edge to see a single splash emerge up as Hope hit the water. She waited patiently for the other girl to come out of the water but she didn't. Josie was starting to wonder if Hope was telling the truth. She yelled down to her in Hope's of hearing a response but all she could hear was the waterfall next to her.

"God dammit," Josie said to herself before stripping down to her underwear.

"You can do this Joey, you can swim after all. Just close your eyes and it'll be over before you know it," Josie said out loud to herself before running to edge and stopping, "Fuck, okay calm down just try again," she said walking back to give herself another running start. She took a deep breathe before running forward and jumping. She closed her eyes and balled her body up into the cannon ball position. She fell for what seemed seconds before her body met the water. She let her body float up and felt a slender hand pull her.

"Hey, you made it," Hope grinned.

Josie pusher her, "Fuck you, I thought you were dead."

Hope laughed, "I wasn't lying. I don't know how to swim but I do know how to float."

Josie glared at her.

"Look I'm sorry, but you gotta admit, it was fun wasn't it?"

Josie cracked a smile, "Maybe a little"

"And it was worth it," Hope said checking the other girl out.

"For you," Josie teased her. 

Hope's gaze then fell to Josie's lips.

Josie's lips parted in response. She couldn't help but wonder what her lips tasted like. It was almost as if she was searching for an answer that she already knew or one that she was trying to remember.

Hope inched closer to her and tilted her head just right so that their mouths were hovering over each other's. Then to Hope's surprise, Josie cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in to connect their lips.

Hope's hands roamed along Josie's body as she lost herself in the kiss. Josie's heart was jumping out of her chest in excitement and absolute arousal. She wanted more. No, she needed more and it was like that from the very start.

Kissing Hope was infinite. Each kiss felt electric. And Hope's hands felt like silk as they explored her body.

Suddenly, Josie felt Hope's tongue slip into her mouth. Willingly, Josie let her take over. Josie's arms fell down from the other girl's neck and to her waist. Hope took this as an opportunity to gently cup Josie's neck to choke it. Josie involuntarily moaned into Hope's mouth. Hope smirked before pulling away from the kiss.

Josie quirked her brow, "Why did you stop?"

"So I could leave you wanting more."

Josie oddly liked that answer.

"Do you wanna float with me?" Hope asked her.

"On our backs?"

"Yeah, the sun's setting. Watch the sky change with me."

Josie smiled before agreeing. They laid on their backs and held hands as their bodies floated in the pool of water. The sky was beautiful, but Josie couldn't help but admire Hope. Everyone was right, she was gorgeous. It was almost like she was the kind of girl people didn't know whether they wanted to date or be her. And Josie hated to admit it but she was irrevocably and unconditionally infatuated with her. She'd never met anyone like her before but at the same time it felt like they'd known each other for their whole lives.

They watched the sun set and then the moon rise for what seemed hours in minutes. Being with Hope Mikaelson was cosmic. It was unexplainable really, all Josie knew was that she was drawn to her like the planet was bound to gravity. And that was both a blessing and a curse. Because no matter what, just as gravity did to any object, falling was inevitable.  
—


	4. Chapter 4

Josie was sipping a mango smoothie in a booth with her two closet friends. Though Josie wanted to talk about anything else, Lola and Lizzie were fixated on the subject of Hope.

"Is she a good kisser? I bet she's a good kisser," Lola said before sipping her drink.

"Maya Machado says so," Lizzie added, after Josie ignored the question, "she sits behind me in physics."

"Who the hell is Maya Machado?" Josie couldn't help but ask.

"A howler that Hope used to loosely date when she went to Lakewood high a town over."

"Apparently they were a summer thing," Lola added, "Guess Hope got bored of her," she said before sighing and resting her head on her hand, "I wish someone like that would get bored of me."

Josie rolled her eyes, "If you want Hope that bad you can have her."

"Someone's jealous," Lola pressed.

"I'm not jealous. I just don't wanna hear about Hope anymore. That's all you two ever talk about now."

"Well, we get bored. She's the shiny new toy of course we're going to poke and prod you, you know the most about her," Lizzie said.

"Well Hope is impulsive and stubborn but she's also clever and confident. We fight a lot but I kind like when we do," Josie opened up, "I guess I kinda like her."

"You guess?" Lola asked.

Josie shrugged, "We've only been on one official date, I don't think it's fair for me to say that I like her."

"You're so dense, you totally have the hots for her," Lizzie told her.

"Oblivious Josie still hasn't changed has she?" Lola teased her.

"Remember in middle school when Penelope Park brought Josie a heart shaped pizza to ask her to the dance and before Penelope could open the box to pop the question Josie announced to the class that Penelope had brought pizza for the class for her birthday, and it wasn't even her birthday that day," Lizzie couldn't help but laugh after telling the story.

"And then, at the dance Penelope asked her to dance and Josie thought she meant with our friend group," Lola added in a fit of laughter.

Josie crossed her arms and frowned.

"Now we've mad her mad," Lizzie noted.

"She likes the teasing, why do you think she likes Hope so much?"

Josie got up, "You know what? I'll see you guys later. I need some air," She told them before leaving them in the restaurant. Outside, she saw a girl smoking a cigarette. She was wearing the howlers symbol on the back of her jacket. She had curly black hair, black eyes, a scar on under her left eye and a smooth olive colored complexion. She made eye contact with Josie and started to walk over to her.

"You're Hope's new girl right?"

"I'd loosely say that," Josie replied.

"I'm Maya, I'm sure Hope has mentioned something about me."

Josie put up her guard, "Nope, never mentioned it."

Maya quirked her brow, "Well, then I guess I should let you know who I am," she said inching closer to Josie.

The brown-eyed girl didn't know what to expect. She watched Maya approach her with a switch blade in her right hand. She toyed with it in her hands as a smirk formed on her lips.

Josie’s feet walked back until she hit the wall behind her. Maya was only a foot away from her. She raised the blade up to the nape of her neck, the tip just poking her skin.

"You're pretty, but will that be enough?" Maya asked her.

Josie gulped and her breathe was now shaky.

Maya teased her by pressing the blade just a bit harder against her neck, almost to the point where it would cut through.

"Maya," a male voice said.

She lowered the knife and turned to look in the direction of the voice.

"Ethan?" Maya asked confused, "What do you want? I'm in the middle of something."

"I can tell. Stop fucking around, you're late for the meeting."

"At the den?"

"Yeah Tyler Lockwood is about to close the bar for the night so we can discuss some business."

Maya rolled her eyes before pulling away the knife from Josie's neck.

"Guess we'll have to continue this later," Maya told her before putting the knife in her pocket and walking away with Ethan.

Josie took a deep breathe to compose herself before she walked back into the cafe to meet her friends.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you've just seen a ghost," Lola noted.

"Not a ghost, worse . . . a howler."

"Hope?" Lizzie asked.

"No, Maya. I guess she was hanging outside. Speak of the devil and she will appear."

"Damn, are you okay?" Lola asked.

Josie rubbed her neck, "Yeah, she was just trying to intimidate me with her stupid little knife."

"Well, I guess Hope has some crazy ex's," Lola said.

"I can't believe she's friends with people like that," Josie huffed, "It makes being with her ten times harder."

"Well yeah, your mom is a stickler for those howlers for a reason."

Josie rolled her eyes, "My aunt Bonnie told me she used to date one of the boys from that gang. Guess he must've broken her heart."

"But you two have only been in mystic falls for a couple years, haven't you?" Lola asked.

"I have, but my mom grew up here before she met my dad and moved out of the state. But ever since my dad died, she spent a lot of time moving around until she settled back here."

"Sounds like she was running from something."

"That's what I used to think, but now I think she was trying to find her place in her world. She was a widow, y’know that kind of thing has to be hard for some people."

Lizzie shrugged, "Well, I'm sure your mom had her reasons. I'm just glad you ended up here. Lola and I would have no one to tease otherwise."

Josie cracked a smile at that.

"Oh shit," Lola said looking at her digital watch, "We forgot about rehearsal."

"Is it too late to go now?"

"We're an hour late, so maybe? No we should try and go anyway. Better late than never.”

Lola and Lizzie gathered their things and slid out of the booth.

"Wanna come?" Lizzie asked Josie.

"No, I think I'm gonna stay out a bit longer, probably walk around the town square or something."

"It's your day off, don't you wanna see your girlfriend?"

"She's not my girlfriend," Josie clarified, "and no, I just wanna take it easy. I'll see you guys later."

And with that, both of her friends left. Josie watched them walk away until they were out of view. She then gathered her things and paid the tab at the register before walking outside. There, she looked up the address to The Den. She didn't know why she did it but a part of her had to know more about this part of Hope. She wanted to know what she was getting herself into. And maybe she was being intrusive, but she couldn't stop herself from walking there. The bar was closed so she walked behind the building expecting to find a door she could use but was instead met by a group of bikers. Josie immediately noticed the Howler symbol on their jackets and stopped in her tracks.

An older man, who looked like he was in his thirties, pointed in Josie's direction. The other howlers turned around to look at the brunette.

The older man stepped forward and asked, "Is there something we can help you with?"

"Uh, I was just looking for the bathroom."

"Out back?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I mean the front was closed so I figured that maybe I could-"

"Sneak in?" Another howler finished for her.

Before Josie could respond, Hope emerged from behind them.

"Josie?"

"H-Hey."

Hope turned to her group and said, "It's okay. She's with me."

They glared at her in such a way that made it obvious that they didn't trust her.

"Back off," Hope repeated a bit more sternly.

The older man put his hands up and backed away, "Fine whatever you say boss. Just keep an eye on her."

Hope then grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the group.

"What are you doing here?"

Josie shrugged, "I don't know. I guess I wanted to see what all this stuff was about," she admitted.

"Well you shouldn’t of come.”

"Why?"

"Because you're not apart of the group. So everything that happens here is confidential."

"Well I don't like secrets."

"Well I like the idea of keeping you safe."

"What are you trying to say?"

"This isn't a game Josie. What the howlers do is something that involves lives if we don't play our cards right. The less you know, the better."

"Fine, whatever. But tell me one thing."

"Sure."

"Why did that guy call you boss?"

"You caught that?"

"I'm observant when I wanna be."

Hope sighed, "It's a long story, do you really wanna hear it?"

"I have the time."

"Fine, but not here."

"Then where?"

Hope reached into her pocket to grab her keys, "My place," She said before grabbing Josie's hand and taking her to her parked motorcycle, "Hop on I'll drive us there."

Josie agreed and put on the helmet Hope gave her before getting onto the bike. Hope reved the engine a couple times before driving away. Though Josie would never admit it, she liked riding on Hope's bike because a part of her liked the rush of being on one. Her mother had always mentioned the danger they held but the more she was around Hope, the more she began to grow an affinity towards danger.

Moments later, the girls made it to Hope's apartment. With no other words, Hope led Josie into the complex and up to her room. Josie looked around the apartment and noticed the light grey walls, the silver finish in the kitchen, and an array of classic paintings and plants that hung all over the walls. 

"Is anyone home?" Josie asked.

Hope went over to the island and pulled out a bottle of whisky and a glass of ice, "No one's ever home."

Josie furrowed her brows. What the hell does that mean?

Hope poured herself a drink before offering Josie a seat on her red suede couch.

"Sorry I didn't ask, did you want one?"

"No, I don't drink," Josie replied.

"So," Hope began before taking a swig from her glass, "Where to start . . . oh, I know. I'll start with my dad, Klaus Mikaelson.”

Josie sat back and crossed her arms.

“He used to be the most hated man in the Eastern United States. When he was a teenager, he skipped school and started a family to make up for the one at home. My grandparents were kind of a mess. They didn't have much money and they were addicts. He's the reason that the Howlers exist today. He was their alpha. In his reign, he did a lot of bad things but he always gave back to community. He called treated his pack like family and he was at the top of the world when he met my mom at the den one night. They fell in love and then had me. I’m not gonna lie, my dad was a pretty bad guy, he killed people left and right, stole a bunch and wrecked a lot of stuff in this town. Everyone knew who Klaus Mikaelson was. He was invincible . . ." Hope paused taking another drink, "at least that’s that everyone used to think,” her voice became more shaky now, “but one night, just after they'd read me a bed time story, another gang broke in, tied me and parents up and set our house on fire. I was young then so I didn't really know what to do. I was scared. I thought we were all going to die but my dad used the little time he had to chew through a rope that was restraining me. I got out and they didn't. I tried getting help but it was too late by the time the firemen arrived. So I went into the system and was placed in a home outside of town. I got emancipated a couple months ago and now that I'm old enough, alpha was passed down to me. And that’s why you heard Tyler refer to me as boss."

Josie didn't know how to respond, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I shouldn't have asked-“

"No, it's okay. I have to talk about things like this or else they live with you and control you."

Josie grabbed Hope's hand to hold, “Thanks for sharing that with me. I can tell it was hard for you."

Hope shrugged, "You deserve to know me."

Josie smiled at that before saying, "The quiet girl and the big bad wolf. How will that end?"

Hope pulled her hand away and cleared her throat, "I guess we'll have to find out."

"You know, I have a strict no Howler policy, but I think I can make an exception for the alpha."

Hope laughed, "You should be running from the alpha, but I guess that wouldn't be fair to ask of you since I'm the one that instigated it."

Josie shrugged, "I don't mind a little danger. I know you can't tell me everything that happens in the den but try to keep me in the loop. I don't like surprises."

Hope raised her brow, "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Maya had a talk with me."

Hope rolled her eyes at the mention of that name.

"It was fine. She tried to scare me off by holding a blade to my neck but nothing happened."

Hope's jaw clenched, "That bitch. She acts like she owns me. I had a fling and it didn't mean anything."

"For you."

"Whatever, if she does anything like that again, let me know and I'll take care of it."

“Okay.”

There was a short silence between them before Josie broke it.

"I'm sorry but I have to ask, why me?"

Hope furrowed her brows in confusion, unsure what Josie was referring too, “What do you mean?"

"Every one in this town is falling at your feet yet you fixate on me. Why?"

Hope was unsure how to answer without revealing too much. She had to be careful, "I don't think love has a reason."

"Well that's vague."

Hope laughed, "You're never pleased, are you?"

"Not when you're always so ominous. It makes me feel like you're hiding something." 

Hope stiffened, her voice nervous now, "No, I just don't like talking about stuff like that. I have my limits."

"Well, I didn't want to mention it but I know how it feels . . . to miss a parent. My dad died in a mining accident. So it's just been me and my mom. She's a little overprotective but she means well. She just hasn’t been the same since it happened.”

"Looks like we've both lost someone. But it is what it is. Dwelling too much on the past just makes you sick."

"You're right, lets talk about something else."

Hope smirked before straddling Josie, "Let's do something else a little more fun."

Josie raised her brow before grinning and pulling the red head in for a kiss. A part of Josie didn't believe Hope. Though she was sincere, there was a part of Hope that was so distant, cold, and untouchable. A part of her that seemed as though she'd never be able to reach. And that deeply unsettled her. 

—

On her way to the pool, Josie was finishing a book she was reading. Nationals were a few weeks away and if she played her cards right she could be one of the competitors. The star swimmer suffered a sport related injury and because of it, there's an open spot that needs to be filled. Determined, Josie practiced as much as she could. Even on days like today when they didn't have practice. 

"I'm outta here," Hope's voice echoed through the hall before exiting a classroom next to the gym.

She and Josie suddenly met eyes.

"Hey," Josie said breaking the silence.

"Hey, nice swim suit," Hope said, her eyes roaming up and down Josie’s body.

"This plain blue thing?" Josie asked pulling the elastic of the one piece.

"I'm interested in what's under the suit," Hope clarified.

Josie blushed before she playfully pushed Hope's shoulder, "Shut up."

Hope smiled at that.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Josie asked.

"I got detention."

"What'd you do this time?"

"I took the principals parking spot. Guy likes to act like he owns the place," Hope huffed.

"I mean, he kind of does."

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to act like it."

Josie shook her head, "You're ridiculous."

"Say, instead of heading to practice, why don't you come hang out with me?" Hope suggested.

"I can't. I need the practice."

The blue-eyed girl inched closer to her, "It’ll be fast. I'll have you back before you know it."

Josie quirked her brow at that statement. A part of her wanted to leave with Hope and spend the evening talking about old Greek and Latin myths until they'd get tired and give into their impulses to be close. An impulse rooted in love or maybe even lust. Josie wasn't quite sure what she was feeling. One moment she wouldn't even be thinking about the blue-eyed girl and the next moment she couldn't keep herself from jumping her bones. It was as if somehow, every cell in her body inexplicably hungered for Hope. For reasons that Josie couldn't even begin to understand. But even so, another part of her knew she needed to practice. She wanted the spot.

"Okay, but be fast," Josie found herself saying.

Hope's lips curled up into a mischievous smile. She took Josie's hand in her own and lead her down the hall and into an empty supply closet.

Hope then stepped closer to the brown eyed girl, letting the same overwhelming impulse take over. She slowly traced her fingers from Josie's arms up to her neck. Brown eyes met blue. Josie could hear her heart ring in her ears. Their warm breathes mixing as the urge to kiss each other was becoming unbearable.

Josie leaned in and connected their lips. She hungrily kissed the blue-eyed girl as her hands ran up to her shoulders. She pulled off Hope's leather jacket and gently caressed the skin on her arms before she pushed her up against the wall. 

Hope smirked into the kiss in response to Josie's dominance. Hope's hands then made it down to Josie's hips. Hope wrapped her arms around her.

Being with Hope felt like poison and the cure at the same time. She was the shiny red apple that tempted everything in Josie to take a bite. Being with her felt fleeting and that was the danger of it. But even so, being with Hope was the only way Josie could relieve the longing she carried in her heart.

Suddenly Hope's phone rang. She pulled away from the brown-eyed girl and caught her breath before she answered the call.

"H-Hello? Yeah . . . Okay . . . I'll be there in a minute."

Josie quirked her brow.

"Sorry, I gotta go," Hope told her.

"Howler business?"

"Yeah," She said as she put on her jacket.

"Wait," Josie stopped her, "Come by tonight. I wanna show you something."

Hope smiled at that, "Okay. See you then."

"Oh and Hope?"

The blue-eyed girl turned around to meet her again.

"Be careful."

Hope's lips curled up into a weak smile before she made her way out.

__


	5. Chapter 5

Josie was reading on her bed with her earbuds on. She was swaying her head along to a song with no worry in the world before her window suddenly flew open.

Josie looked up from her book to see Hope stumbling into her room.

Josie set down her book and walked over to her, "Hope?"

"Hey."

"How the hell did you get up here and what are you doing here?" Josie whispered.

"You invited me?" She said limping forward. Josie's eyes lowered down to her abdomen where Hope was trying to cover a bloody stain with her hand.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Josie asked inching closer to Hope.

Hope's voice was now shaky, "Y-Yeah I just . . . need to . . . sit down."

Josie grabbed her hand and took her to her bed before pulling up her shirt to look at the damage. There was a deep cut right below her rib age that was still bleeding.

"You need medical attention."

"I know."

"Then why did you come here?"

"Because you were closer. Besides I'm fine, I just-oh fuck," she winced holding onto her side, "I just need a couple bandages and hydrogen peroxide."

Without another word, Josie got up and went over to her bathroom to grab the first-aid kit. She took out some medical tape, gauzes and peroxide solution. 

She ran over to her, then crouched down at eye level, "Take your shirt off."

Hope's lips curled up into a smirk, "Sheesh, why don't you take me out to dinner first?"

Josie ignored her flirtatious comment and poured hydrogen peroxide on a gauze and cleaned up her cut. With care, she placed a the gauze on top of the cut and held it in place while she gathered up some tape with her other hand, "You're lucky it wasn't that deep," Josie told her, "I'm not doctor but as long as we apply pressure the bleeding should stop," she continued before she wrapped the tape around her abdomen to keep the gauze in place. She then pushed on the gauze to apply more pressure.

"Thanks," Hope told her, "You didn't have to do that. I could've-"

"I know but I wanted too."

Hope's lips parted. Josie was starting to make her feel things that she was trying to avoid. But so far she'd been failing. Hope thought she was stronger than this but she was falling for it like she had every other life. The thing about Josie was that she was always so kind and loving in ways Hope wasn't used to receiving. She'd never met anyone that did and said everything with the best intentions. She was pure of heart, something that Hope could never be.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Josie asked, breaking Hope out of her thoughts.

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing."

"Well," Josie said standing up, "Are you gonna tell me who did that to you or am I gonna have to find out the hard way?"

"Just a rival gang," Hope shrugged, "People like to challenge the new alpha, especially since I'm my fathers daughter, many think they can come into our territory and take everything my dad built here. But they're wrong."

"So did you win?"

"Of course I did," Hope told her, "This isn't my first fight, besides my men had guns. I took the leader on with a switch blade and he had me in the first half but I came back."

"Oh my god, did you kill him?" Josie whispered so that no one would over hear.

Hope laughed, "Yeah I killed him and then I chopped up his body and dissolved it in acid."

Josie's eyes widened.

"I'm kidding. Of course I didn't kill anyone. I just roughed them up a bit so they'd get the message."

"Good, that's what I like to hear. I'm fine dating a criminal just not a murderer."

Hope laughed, "Then you're in luck, because I haven't killed anyone yet."

"Yet?"

"Well you never know, self defense right?"

Josie narrowed her eyes at her.

"It's true, don't look at me like that."

Josie rolled her eyes, "Whatever, kill someone and see what happens."

Hope grabbed Josie's wrist and pulled her down, "Is that a threat?"

"Maybe. Why? What are you gonna do about it?" Josie challenged.

Hope raised her brow in amusement before pulling Josie onto her lap. The brown-eyed girl straddled Hope and put her arms around her neck.

"I like it when you talk back."

"Oh, really?"

"It drives me crazy," Hope admitted before pulling Josie in for a kiss.

Josie kissed her back with the same intensity. Her hand hovered over her abdomen for a moment before her fingers gently traced up to cup her breast. Hope stiffened, surprised by the sudden pleasure that overcame her. She moaned into Josie's mouth which made the brunette smile. The blue-eyed girl then pulled Josie's hair back to separate their lips so that she could kiss her neck. She left wet kisses all over which made Josie weak. Then Hope's instincts took over and she flipped Josie over and under her which caused tension in her wound.

Her face grimaced in pain before she sat up and held her side again.

"Are you okay?" Josie asked.

"Yeah, I was just wasn't careful enough."

Josie sat up and pulled a strand of hair from Hope's face and tucked it behind her ear. 

Blue eyes met brown.

"Do you need anything else?"

Hope shook her head, "No, I just need to lay down for a minute," she told her before getting off and laying down beside her.

"Let me get you an aspirin," Josie said before rummaging through the first aid kit, "Here," she said handing her a pill.

Hope took it and closed her eyes.

"You know, it's funny," Josie began as she rubbed her arm, "When I first met you I thought you were into me because I didn't take the bait. And I didn't think I'd see you again so I didn't call because I was afraid you were gonna be like everyone else. I guess I'm not used to having a girl like you be into me. Maybe that's it, but I don't know . . . sometimes I wonder why I still have this pit in my stomach whenever I stare into your eyes for too long. It's haunting. It's like . . . my body's telling me to run. But then when I'm with you, I never want to leave. It doesn't make sense . . . sorry I'm rambling, you're probably bored of hearing me talk so much."

Hope didn't respond. Josie turned to look at her and realized that she'd fallen asleep.

Josie stifled a laugh before grabbing a book from her night stand and laying down next to her. Hope began to fall into rem sleep and started to dream about the sun and the moon again. It was a pain that followed Hope. A pain she was aware of and hated. She hated it because it was a destiny that was inescapable and already written like the pages of Josie's story. 

—

A few days later, Josie found herself in Hope's bed. The black silk sheets hugged her body as the warm morning sun peaked through the curtains. The blue-eyed girl laid asleep on her chest. Josie was running her slender fingers through Hope's copper red hair as she admired her features. Her skin was smooth, her lips were full and her body hugged the sheets just right to showcase her curves. Josie's never seen anyone as beautiful as Hope. She looked like the kind of girl who was an undercover model or actress that fled the spotlight. Someone's who's face was meant to be worshiped and loved.

Wanting to surprise Hope, Josie got up to make her breakfast. She carefully slipped away and tip toed to the kitchen where she spent the first twenty minutes of her day frying up eggs and making pancakes. When they were ready, she put them on a plate and carried them to Hope's room. Aloof, Josie walked over to the wrong door. It was locked. She knocked on the door a couple times but received no answer. 

"What are you doing?" Hope asked emerging from the other bedroom.

"Oh," Josie sighed in relief, "I guess I picked the wrong door. I wanted to come in and surprise you," she said holding up the plate of food.

Hope looked relieved, "That's so sweet, thank you."

Josie walked over to her and handed her the food. Hope then took it to her kitchen table and both of the girls ate their breakfast peacefully.

"What's the extra room for anyway?" Josie asked while drinking a sip of orange juice.

Hope cleared her throat, "It's an art room."

"Why do you keep it locked up then?"

"Because my art is personal to me."

"I'd like to see it sometime."

"Oh, I don't know . . ." Hope's voice trailed off. 

"Come on, I'm sure it's great."

"It's not that. I like it but I guess I'm worried about what the critics have to say."

"I'm not a critic. I'm hardly even an artist. I draw stick people."

Hope smiled at that while she played with her food, "If that's the case, maybe one day I'll show you."

"I bet you're some crazy good artist like Micheal Angelo."

Hope laughed, "Hardly. I just paint one thing."

"And that is?"

"My muse."

"Which is?"

"Someone I saw in a dream."

"You remembered a face you saw once in a dream?"

"A couple of times actually."

"The human brain remembers ten-thousand faces in its life time. So do you think that it's possible to see the same face more than once?"

"Absolutely."

Josie furrowed her brows, "I guess I don't understand why the brain would fixate on one person, especially if they've never even met before."

"Maybe our brains are trying to tell us something."

Brown eyes met Blue.

"What do you think it's trying to tell us?"

Hope stiffened. The conversation began to take a turn that she wasn't ready for. She had to play it cool. She had to calm her breath. But it was too late. Her mouth was faster than her brain.

"That we're pawns," She blurt out.

"Huh?"

"Uh, nothing. What I meant was that I think dreams try to show us that the world around us is a projection of our interpretation of reality. It's a story we tell ourselves. A story we can live with."

"Well, when you say it that way it makes us all sound like lairs."

"Because we are. People believe what they want. The human brain never remembers events as they really were. They forget the details they hate and remember the ones they like and fit their narrative."

Josie furrowed her brows at Hope's response. It felt as if she was trying to tell her something . . . like there was something she had to read between the lines.

"What?" Hope asked her, "You're looking at me funny."

Josie shook her head, "Sorry, I guess I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around this."

Hope laughed, "It's just a theory Josie."

A theory, right. 

Later that day, Josie was walking around the town square with her friends after finishing up her shift at the book shop. Having seen both girls arrive late to Biology class, Lizzie kept the question to herself until now.

"Why were you and Hope late for class today?"

"We over slept."

"Like together?"

"Oh my god, did you guys hook up?" Lola asked.

Josie blushed before replying, "No, we just fell asleep watching a movie."

"A likely story," Lizzie said.

Lola grinned from ear to ear, "I bet Hope's really good with her hands."

"And probably her mouth too," Lizzie added.

Josie rolled her eyes, "If I knew I'd tell you."

"I bet she tops," Lola continued.

"Probably. Josie's too shy to make any moves."

The brunette crossed her arms and frowned.

"Oh shut up, you act like we're lying."

"She's both, actually," Hope's voice said from behind them.

Josie jumped up in surprise before turning around and saying, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough time hear how good I am with my hands."

Lizzie and Lola both raised their brows before bursting out in laughter.

"I'm sorry," Josie apologized on their behalf.

Hope smiled, "It's okay, I just wanted to say hi since I saw you."

"Where are you headed?"

"The den."

"Let me walk you there."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna take you away from your friends."

Josie threw out her hand for Hope to hold, "Yeah, I'll catch up with them later. Come on."

Hope shrugged before taking her hand and entwining their fingers.

"Whatever ditch us for your new girlfriend, see if we care," Lola said crossing her arms.

"She's kidding, see you later Josie!" Lizzie added before taking an annoyed Lola in the other direction.

"They're funny," Hope suddenly said.

"Yeah they can be."

"So what's the consensus do you think I'm good with my hands?"

Josie smirked, "I don't know. I think I need to test that theory."

Blue eyes met brown.

"You should show me sometime."

"Is that a challenge Saltzman?"

Josie shrugged, "I'm trying to see if the rumors are true."

"There's rumors? God I didn't think I was that much of a whore. But then again, my body count is in the double digits," Hope thought aloud.

Josie stopped in front of the towns announcement board, "Double digits?"

"Yeah, why?"

Josie rolled her eyes, "No wonder you're so popular around here."

Hope laughed, "That's not why, and you know it."

"Oh yeah, you're the big bad wolf. If you're not careful she'll huff and she'll puff and blow the whole town down!" Josie teased her.

Hope playfully pushed her shoulder causing Josie's back to bump against the board behind her. A flyer fell onto the ground. Josie picked it up and read it.

"Mystic Falls Annual Art Exhibit. First Prize includes a thousand dollars and to be featured in the New York Museum of the Arts."

Hope quirked her brow.

"You should enter," Josie said handing her the flyer.

"Why? You've never even seen my art."

"You're the suffer in silence type, I bet your art's good."

Hope crossed her arms, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"The best artists have something to say with their work. Especially a lot about the parts of themselves that they don't share with others."

Hope sighed, "That just sounds like a hassle. I don't wanna go through all of that, I have a lot of work to do at the den."

"So if you had the time you'd enter?"

"Probably, I mean if I wasn't a howler I'd probably go to art school. I've been sketching and painting since I was six. It's what I like to do."

"Hmm," Josie hummed as she formed a mischievous plot in her mind. 

She folded the flyer up and put it in her back pocket.

"What?"

"Nothing, let's get you to that meeting before I get you in trouble," Josie told her before the girls continued to walk towards the bar.

After arriving, Hope kissed Josie goodbye and was about to head in before Josie stopped her.

"You're gonna kill me for this but I think I forgot my wallet at your place."

"Oh, I'll be done in an hour, can you wait till then?"

"No I have to pay swim team dues."

"Can it wait?"

"No, it's the last day."

"How much is it? I can cover you."

Josie began to lose patience, "I wouldn't feel comfortable taking your money."

"It's no bother," Hope said pulling out her wallet.

"No, thank you but I want to use my own money."

"Well, I guess I can give you my keys or you can just grab the spare."

"Sure, where's the spare?"

"On top of the door frame. That's where I  
keep all my spare keys."

"Sweet, I'll see you later then," Josie said before quickly pecking Hope's lips. 

Josie then walked to the post office to mail in an application to enter Hope's painting. Though Hope told her she wasn't interested in it due to her current responsibilities, Josie figured that she could do this small thing for her. After all, Hope would do the same for her if given the opportunity. 

After mailing the entry, Josie walked over to Hope's apartment which was only a couple blocks away from the post office. When she arrived, she waited for someone else to enter the building so that she could sneak through since the main entrance was locked. She then walked up to Hope's apartment room. She reached over the door frame to retrieve the key. 

She managed to get into her apartment and went over to the door Hope kept locked. A part of Josie didn't want to follow through with her plan because she didn't want to betray Hope's trust. After all, she kept the room locked for a reason. But even so, an even bigger part of her wanted to know what was behind it. Hope was always so secretive, and this room was a glimpse into the part of her that Josie knew she could never reach. So she had to look. It was the only way.

Hesitantly, she walked up to the door. 

Then she remembered something.

( ". . . where's the spare?"

"On top of the door frame. That's where I  
keep all my spare keys . . . ")

Josie reached up to the door frame and felt around for it. Once she felt the cold metal touch her fingertips, she grabbed it and put it into the lock. She slowly turned the key until she heard a click. 

She then took the key out and proceeded to turn the door knob. She opened the door and walked in to see hundreds of paintings. She dropped the key onto the ground at the sight of them. Her lips quivering and her eyes widening in absolute terror.

All around were only paintings of her. More importantly, versions of her she'd only seen in dreams. There were portraits of her from all eras. Josie quickly identified each dream as her eyes moved from portrait to portrait. She managed to grab the painting closest to her. It correlated with the dream she had a week prior where she'd jumped out of a carriage and died. She turned the portrait around and found writing that read:

Solis as Evelyn Bates  
1864  
Badburh, England

She turned the painting back around and found Hope's signature in the corner of the canvas. She stared at the girl in the painting more intensely. Closing analyzing every part of her face. There was no doubt about it, they were identical. Most of all, the portrait was a version of Josie only she knew about. Or so she thought. 

She set the painting down and looked up on the wall to see a cork board with photos of herself of various ages. Each picture was placed on top of a world map with a pin and thread that recorded where Josie lived at every point in her life. The threads all met in one spot called the source. Josie moved the pieces of thread to reveal the name of the place. It was mystic falls. 

It looked like a complex web that someone would use to solve a case, but what mystery was Hope trying to solve?

Josie didn't want to know. She wanted to get the hell out of there. Her breath was now shaky and her hands were trembling. She walked back nervously before tripping over a loose floor board. It popped up. 

Josie furrowed her brows in confusion before she got on her knees and pushed the board over to the side to reveal a shoe box. She pulled the box out and decided to open it. 

Inside it, were candles, Wiccan tools, crystals and a hard cover book that was wrapped in brown leather. The book itself looked ancient. The binding was practically falling apart and the edges of the cover were worn out. She opened the book and a silver necklace fell out. She set the book down and picked up the necklace. At the end of the chain was a crescent-shaped moon. It looked familiar . . . too familiar. She pulled her necklace out and examined them side by side.

"No way . . ." She breathed before grabbing the ends of the necklaces and snapping the pieces together. A perfect fit.

She took them apart and picked up the book to see what was inside. She couldn't believe what she was reading. The book talked about an ancient love between the sun and the moon. It didn't tell the whole story but it highlighted a curse.

Josie closed the book before picking up the necklace again and holding it up.

"What the hell are you doing?" A woman's voice said from behind her. 

The voice wasn't Hopes.

Josie stiffened and got up with the book and necklace in her hands. She turned around to meet the same woman she'd seen outside the book store when she first met Hope. She was stocky, had a long face and long grey hair that hung to her waist. She had two distinct braids that framed her face and cold grey eyes. She was wearing many layers of clothes and socks with sandals. There was no doubt about it she was the red head's relative. 

"I'm sorry I was just-"

"Poking your nose where it doesn't belong?"

"I could say the same for you. Hope said she didn't live with any relatives. So why are you here?"

"Hope's relative?"

"You're Hope's aunt, aren't you?"

She stifled a laugh, "Is that what she told you?"

Josie's eyes widened, "If you're not her aunt then who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" The woman asked stepping forward.

Josie shook her head hugging the book close to her chest.

"What about now?" The older woman told her before she raised her hand up and transformed into an eighty-year old woman. The same old woman that gave Josie the necklace long ago.

"H-How did you?" Josie stammered.

"So, do you know who I am now?"

Josie nodded.

"Good," she said before changing back to the woman she'd seen in the book store, "What you're looking at is my real form."

Josie blinked a couple times, she couldn't believe that the woman was shape shifting right in front of her. 

"Now, what I want to know is how much you know.

"About what?" Josie asked.

"About that book you're holding."

Josie was about to answer before she re-evaluated her situation. She'd just walked into a room full of portraits of herself, a cork board tracking her every move, a hidden compartment with Wiccan tools and a shape shifting woman.

Her adrenaline rushed and without a second thought, she ran. She ran faster than she'd ever have before and somehow, made it past the older woman. She heard the woman chuckle before she raised her hand and muttered words in Latin. Suddenly, Josie stopped in her tracks. She tried to move but her body felt as if it had been turned to stone.

A second later, Hope walked in and dropped her bag pack onto the floor in response to the scene in front of her.

"Luna, nice of you to join us."

Blue eyes met brown.

Hope quickly ran over to Joise and realized that she'd been frozen in place. 

"What the hell did you do to her?" Hope asked the woman.

"I froze her. She broke into our secret room and was trying to run away. I had to stop her."

Hope's eyes glanced at the book Josie was holding in her hands. Hope then looked past her and noticed that her art room was opened. 

"Shit," Hope cursed to herself, "You didn't-"

"She did. Nice job Luna. Seems like you followed my advice on how to keep a secret."

"I hate when you call me that. For the last time it's Hope."

"Right now you're Hope but in the next life you'll be someone else. All these names get confusing for me I rather call you who you really are."

Hope rolled her eyes before saying, "Whatever, can you take the spell off now? I have to explain myself."

The older woman shrugged before snapping her finger and undoing the spell. Josie lost her balance and fell.

Hope then walked over and offered her hand to take.

Josie didn't take it and got up on her own.

"Listen, I know it looks like I'm some crazy stalker but I swear that's not what's going on."

"You have hundreds of paintings and sketches of me. And more importantly you mapped out every place I've ever been. How am I not supposed to think you're some weirdo that's obsessed with me?"

"I'm hardly obsessed with you," Hope snapped.

"Then what? Why did you paint all those portraits of me?"

"Because of the dreams," Hope admitted.

Josie's furrowed her brows in confusion, "What dreams?"

"The one's about our past."

"Our past?"

"Yes."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The dreams. They're more like memories. You get them too don't you?"

"You're not talking about-"

"The dreams of us?"

"Yeah," Josie replied completely perplexed with the fact that Hope seemed to know about them. 

"They all end the same, don't they?"

Josie didn't respond.

"When did they start for you?"

"A couple months ago. I still get them every night," Josie revealed.

"Every dream you have coincides with one I've already seen," Hope explained.

"I don't get it. It's imposible for two people to have the same dream."

"And it's impossible for someone to shape shift and use magic but you saw that too didn't you?"

Josie didn't want to argue anymore. She wanted to run and never see Hope again. She was insane. She had to be.

"I don't wanna hear it. It's over Hope," Josie said before getting up and walking towards the door.

Hope felt a knot form in her throat. She didn't want Josie to go. Not like this.

"Don't you think it's weird that we always run into each other at the right place at the right time?"

Josie stopped.

"And don't you wonder why you have dreams every night that feel more like memories than anything else?"

Josie turned around to meet Hope's gaze.

"And don't you want to know the reason I walked into your bookstore that day?"

Josie held the book tight against her chest. She had to be smart about this. In case it was a trick. She couldn't trust Hope, and most of all, she couldn't trust that shape shifting woman. So she pulled out her phone and said, "I'm letting my friends and parents know I'm here in case anything happens."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Hope assured her.

Josie ignored her and sent the texts anyway, "You have fifth teen minutes. I want to know everything. No more secrets."

"We have a duty," Hope began, "A duty to a curse that's followed us since the beginning of time. A curse we've never been conscious about till now. Witches and magic it's all real. That woman standing over there is living proof of it. You saw what she did to you. I don't feel like I need to justify it."

Josie crossed her arms and quirked her brow, "I think there's a lot of things you need to justify."

Hope kind of laughed before ignoring Josie's comment and continuing with her explanation, "I know the paintings scream stalker but that wasn't the intention behind them. I'm an artist. I drew what I saw in my dreams. Before my 15th birthday, I began to dream about us. In every dream, I fell in love with a girl that looked just like you, with a different name and a different life but deep down she was always the same. So I started to document these girls in portraits. It was the only way I could remember every detail. What she wore, how she smiled, and most of all the story behind her eyes that lead me closer to the truth . . . our truth."

"It's impossible for two people to have the same dreams. It has to be a coincidence," Josie argued again.

"A coincidence? All 356 portraits are a coincidence? You saw them, didn't you?"

Josie's jaw clenched. Hope was starting to make sense, but she didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. It was too bizarre.

"Don't you think it's weird that no matter how much you resist me, you can't help but end up being with me anyway? It's this feeling deep inside of the pit of your stomach that feels so right yet so wrong at the same time. It's hauntingly beautiful, isn't it?"

Josie shook her head, "You're crazy. You're both crazy."

"Are we? Or are you just in denial?" Hope inched closer to her.

Josie stepped back, "I don't know but all I know is that I don't trust you."

"That's fair," Hope told her, "But I'm done lying."

"Why now?"

"Because you deserve to know the consequences of this curse. Knowing shouldn’t just be my burden anymore.” 

Josie narrowed her eyes at Hope. 

"This curse has followed us through life times. Over and over again. Death follows you, and when it eventually comes for me, we start over again."

"What do you mean?"

"After I die, my spirit will find you in the next life."

Then it clicked. Josie started to put the pieces together but the more she began to understand the truth, the more terrifying it became.

"Reincarnation," Josie breathed before their eyes met. This time, Josie wasn't looking at Hope anymore. Those eyes . . . belonged to someone who'd seen many lives. A person who knew the truth and because of it, behind her eyes was a sorrowful and melancholic beauty. A beauty so rare that Josie couldn't bear to look anymore.

—


	6. Chapter 6

Hope noticed Josie's newfound fear. She thought that she'd forgotten about that fear. She'd buried it so deep inside so that she could find a way to live with herself. Loving Josie Saltzman was just a bump in the road. After she'd die, she could continue on with her life. That was the plan. But being here in this moment, she couldn't help but worry about their future again. What if she was making the wrong decision? What if she was letting herself become victim to a never ending cycle of heartbreak just because a supernatural entity told her it was unescapable? Was she supposed to listen to her and live by her word? 

Hope reached over and grabbed Josie's hand to hold. Josie looked up to meet her gaze.

"That's part of it. But there's more," Hope finally said.

"Like the girl said, it's a long story," the other woman interjected.

Josie turned to the woman, "I don't care about the stupid story. What I do want to know is how you're involved?"

"I'm the sky spirit."

"How can you be a spirit if you have a physical body?"

"I made a deal a long time ago when the curse began to merge with the sky spirit. So in turn, I get immortality and I can take form of my body."

"So you're a witch and a spirit?"

"Yes. I'm the mediator of this cosmic curse. Though I have to say, this is the first time I've ever had to meddle this much. Thanks to that awful mother of yours."

Josie quirked her brow before asking "What does my mom have anything to do with this?"

Sky pulled out a cigarette from a box that was on the table behind her before lighting it and responding, "Caroline Forbes is a descendent of the same line of witches that I'm from. She's far too distant to have any real powers but even so, she is able to cast simple things like protection, cloaking and tracking spells. The coven went after her because I told them who was going to birth the next sun. As soon as she found out, she split and took you with her."

"If you're telling the truth, then why did she hide it from me?"

"She thought lying to you would keep you safe. Your mother has ties to magic that are unavoidable. Her grandparents were part of the coven so she'd heard of the curse before. But she wanted you to live a normal life but how could you if you knew you were destined to die at eighteen?"

"This can't be real . . . there has to be a more logical explanation for all of this . . ." 

"If you don't believe us, ask her," Sky challenged. 

"Well if she did that Caroline would know we were here and she'd run again," Hope noted.

Josie wasn't listening to them anymore. Her whole world melted into a puddle of lies. She didn't know what to believe but she couldn't shake the fear that there was some truth to shape shifting woman's words. There were just too many coincidences. Too many occurrences that finally made sense. And if it were true, then Josie's life was limited. She had to know for sure. She had to ask her mom. She let go of Hope's hand and began to walk toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"As if you care."

Hope glared at her, "It was just a question."

"I have to find my mom. I can't be here anymore. I'm sorry," Josie told her before leaving Hope's apartment.

"You're just gonna let her go?" Sky asked Hope.

"She's her own person. She can do whatever the hell she wants. She won't listen to me. She thinks I'm out of my god damn mind. I mean, I would think that too if the positions were switched."

Sky sighed, "I don't get paid enough for this."

"You're literally immortal. What do you mean?"

"Not enough compensation. You two brats have done a lot of things in the past that threw you off course but it's never been anything like this. I never thought you'd ever have to become conscious of your fates. This is the first time that's ever happened. I fear that this could end horribly."

"Why?"

"You know why. Humans are selfish and have free will. As soon as they know their fates, they always try to change them."

"You act like it's gonna mess something up. It's already written."

"Yeah it won't change the outcome. But the getting there part might make things a bit more difficult and draw things out to the point where we could be in a lot of trouble."

Hope didn't want to agree but Sky was right. Fate was inescapable but prolonging it, had its consequences.

—

Josie opened the front door of her home in a panic. She didn't want to believe what she'd just been told but in a way, it kind of made sense. Though Josie had never believed in anything supernatural, she couldn't deny it's existence once she'd seen the shapeshifting woman with her own eyes. There was no way around it.

"Joey?" Caroline asked emerging from the kitchen. She was wiping down a wet plate that she had the intention of putting away.

Josie tried to calm her breath before saying, "I have to ask you something, and you need to tell me the truth."

Caroline's body stiffened.

"I know about the curse."

"What curse?"

"You know, the curse."

She nervously laughed, "You haven't been reading too many books have you?"

"Mom, don't play dumb. I have to know the truth. Sky and Hope told me everything."

"Hope? As in your new friend?"

Josie nodded.

"And Sky, you can't be talking about-"

"That crazy shift shaping woman? Yeah, her."

Caroline's eyes widened before the plate slipped from her hands and fell onto the ground. 

Josie jumped in response to the crash.

"We have to go, now," Caroline suddenly said before running to the hallway closet and grabbing two black bag packs. She brought them over to the door and handed one to Josie.

"Mom-"

"I'd love to explain but there's no time. You have to come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. Wherever the next flight is out of here."

Josie clenched her fists before throwing the bag pack on the ground, "I'm not going."

Caroline stopped in her tracks to turn around to face her daughter, "Excuse me?"

"I'm not five anymore. So you can't force me to go."

Caroline grabbed Josie's arm and narrowed her eyes at her, "You're going."

"No, I'm not," Josie said pulling her arm away, "Why won't you tell me what's going on?"

Caroline sighed, "Because I'm trying to protect you."

"So it's true . . . all of it?"

"Well, what do you know?"

"Just about the curse and how I'm involved. I'm just confused to why it even exists? They said something about balance but it was a lot of information to take in."

"There's a reason I never told you."

"Whatever the reason, I have to know what we're running from."

"Fine Josette. I'll tell you. I'll tell you the story of the sun and the moon. But you have to promise to forgive me for lying to you about it."

Josie could feel the guilt her mother carried with her. She didn't want to cave and forgive her right away but a part of her understood that she was just trying to keep her safe.

"Fine," Josie agreed.

"So . . ." Caroline began unsure how to deliver the story, "there was once a time when everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. The sun rose while moon slept and when it was time for the sun to rest, the moon would rise. But things couldn't stay like that forever," she paused to avoid her daughter's gaze, "One evening, when the moon rose into the night sky, she began to sob. Being celestial, you'd think she wouldn't feel so alone. The people and planets below worshiped her and myriads of stars surrounded her every night. But even so, she felt as if no one understood her. Every night since the day she was born, she eagerly searched the sky for a friend, perhaps an asteroid or a falling star, with hope of discussing the joys and sorrows of life. But there was no one she felt connected too," she paused before clearing her throat and continuing, "On the other side of the world, the sun yawned in the early peak of day. And while the moon usually fell asleep before she could see her counterpart rise every morning, this time a glimpse of the sun's rays caught her eyes. The moon was instantly drawn to the her. Her radiant light perplexed the young, dark moon. The moon wanted to be with her, maybe even speak to her, but the moon stayed suspended in the sky with no way to reach her. Every time during the evening, the moon would grow closer and closer to the ball of light, however, just as she was about to touch her, they were pulled apart once again by the laws of physics. The sun hadn't noticed the moon before as the moon would always rise and fall behind her. But one day, the sun felt a presence graze her rays for the very first time. So she turned around and saw the moon. The sun admired the moon and her odd mechalochal beauty. Her radiance was a dark and sad kind of beauty. A beauty that the sun could never understand but could only appreciate. The sun always watched her from a far, hoping that one day they would collide and meet. But they couldn't. The moon was untouchable, surrounding herself with a blanket of darkness at dusk and dawn. A blanket that the sun shouldn't pass through. But one night, when the sun was setting on the horizon, she caught a glimpse of her. The moon was rising up, a rare side of her being exposed to the light casted by the sun. And that's when the sun realized that the moon could only glow when the sun shinned. They depended on one another to keep the world from falling apart yet they didn't know anything about each other. The sun wanted nothing more but to know her. But all she could do was watch. And with every fleeting moment, the sun fell more in love with the moon each evening. She wished nothing more but to share these moments with her at both dusk and dawn. The moon however, didn't bat an eye at the sun and that was because the moon's darkness was untouchable, unfreeable, and uncurable. The sun and the moon had their roles and they couldn't abandon them for love. If they were to collide and become one, all chaos would roam the earth at the sight of the blood moon. The sun's love however, flourished with so much intensity that one night, she broke the laws of physics to see the moon. She searched for her eagerly as their alignments rotated towards each other. And just as they met, the moon said one simple thing, 'Go,' her voice said sweet and sorrowful. 'Go and let me be. For you and I have decided fates. Your light illuminates the day, while I cast a glow on the night. We will never be. Our love will go against what people believe, all they know.' "

Josie shifted uncomfortably, a tightness forming in her throat.

"The sun was speechless. The moon was right and just like that, she vanished for the night. The summers after that, the sun stayed out a little longer just in case she would change her mind. But she wouldn't. She knew her purpose and she stuck with it for the sake of the people that worshiped her below. Though they would never understand her like the sun did, she still loved and cared about them, perhaps even more than she loved the sun. So, the sun decided to die until the end of time so that she could spare herself of the pain of their forbidden love. And since, the sun has died every night to let the moon glow and live in eternal solitude."

"Well, that's a dramatic bed time story. I'm ready for the logical explanation," Josie replied.

"I wasn't done," Caroline told her, "The pain eventually became too much for them to bear. So much so that they couldn't fulfill their purpose. The plants began to die, and life began to starve. Sickness infected the world and the seas turned to blood. Locusts roamed the land. And the climate was out of control. This time, the blood moon wasn't something the world had to be afraid of. The grief of forbidden lovers was greater than that. So, occultists from all over the world worked to try to solve this problem. And one coven, found the solution. Sky was one of those witches and so are our ancestors."

"How did they solve it?"

"They sacrificed two young women. They were a couple that were roaming the lands in search for food and shelter since their home suffered from the chaos roaming the earth. So they performed a ritual and they became the vessels for the sun and moon spirits."

"Why?"

"So that they could bear the burden of their love and repeat their fate until the end of time. It was the only way to keep balance in the world. So these girls reincarnated over and over again . . . just to fall in love and repeat the same story. Now it was their duty . . . their burden."

"So, I'm the sun spirit?"

"In physical form. But you're also Josie. I didn't want you to be a part of this. But once I found out you were, I had to do everything I could to stop it."

"So you ran?"

"I didn't just run. I wanted to hide you from Sky and the coven yes, but I was also looking for a way to break the curse."

"And?"

Caroline's gaze fell, "I haven't found it yet."

"I can't believe this . . ."

"I'm sorry Josie. I wish this was all some stupid made up story but it isn't."

"How much time . . ."

"How much time what?"

"How much time do I have left?"

Caroline shrugged, "That depends."

"On what?"

"The part of the cycle you're on."

"I don't get it."

"The curse isn't linear. You don't just meet the moon and suddenly you have a week left. The first part of the cycle starts when you meet the moon. But that's not when your time becomes limited. To start the second part of the cycle, you have to fall in love. After that you have a three months left."

Josie sighed, "That's a relief."

Caroline glared at her, "A relief? You didn't start the cycle did you?"

"Just the first part."

"You met her?!" Caroline almost yelled.

"Yeah."

"Who is she?"

"It's Hope. She's the one that told me. Well actually I found out on my own so she had to tell me."

"Shit," Caroline said before standing up.

"What?"

Caroline began to pace back and forth, "Once you start the cycle there's no going back. You can't escape it. You're gonna work against the universe if you deny your fate. Now, we can't run. No matter where we go, the universe will find a way to bring you two back together. That's how it's always been."

"Tch, not on my watch. I don't care if the universe throws me into her arms, I'm never going to fall for her."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that," Caroline sighed with her hand on her chest.

"So what now?"

"We fight and find a way to stop it," Caroline said before retrieving her laptop.

"But you said there isn't a way."

"So far, but I haven't given up," she told her opening the laptop.

"So do you have a lead?"

"I'm working on it. For now, please stay here. No school. No friends. Nothing."

"I can't just ditch class-"

"I'll write you a sick note. You just can't see Hope anymore."

"I wasn't planning on it," Josie's voice shook, her gaze falling. 

And she meant it. So why was she so upset?

—

Josie was in another dream. This time it was the 1920's and she was drinking a mint julip alone at a speak easy. She was waiting for her girlfriend and partner in crime to show up. They'd planned to flee the city after performing the heist of the century. In the background, someone was playing a sweet but sad song on a grand piano. Listening felt like the end and the beginning of life all at once. Josie let the song enter the deepest parts of her heart. She'd become consumed by it. Each note felt like a story, a symphony of the life she had left to live. Then, she felt a leather glove touch her lower back. She turned to meet a girl that looked like Hope.

"You ready?"

"Yes, but lets wait till' after the song's over," Josie told her.

Hope smiled fondly, "Okay, whatever you want."

Josie closed her eyes and swayed along to the tune. Hope watched her, a small smirk forming on her lips. She liked when Josie did things like this. They reminded her of what it was like to live in the moment. A feeling she'd forgotten after being on the run for so many months now. She reached over and grabbed her girlfriend's drink to taste it and just as she brought it up to her lips, a flashing blue and red light entered the room. Hope then downed the drink before grabbing Josie's hand. Without any other words, she pulled Josie out of her trance and through the back door. A swarm of sirens engulfed the area.

Josie turned to look at Hope in desperation, "What are we supposed to do?"

Hope looked around and noticed a fence behind them that they could climb over.

"There!" Hope pointed before they both ran over to the fence.

Hope pushed a trash can against it to use as a stepping stool to hop over. Just as she was going to, a man's voice behind her yelled, "Stop! Police!"

Josie froze.

"Come on, we have to go now," Hope urged her.

Josie shook her head, "It's too late. You have to go. Alone."

"I can't leave you behind," Hope said grabbing Josie's arm.

"You have too Ronnie. I'll stay here and distract them."

"You won't make it back."

"It's okay. I already accepted that. So you have to go, now."

The policeman had caught up to them now. 

"Drop everything and put your hands up!"

Hope's jaw clenched, "Like hell," she said before reaching into her coat and pulling out a gun. Josie watched her do this in slow motion. The cop raised his gun faster than the redhead and Josie noticed. Then a gunshot was fired and the bang echoed in the night sky. Hope closed her eyes in response expecting to be shot but after a few seconds she realized that she wasn't hit. She opened her eyes again and saw Josie standing right in front of her. Her yellow pea coat was now stained in blood. Hope's eyes widened in horror as Josie fell to the cold wet pavement. Hope dropped her gun and held Josie in her arms. She sobbed uncontrollably.

"Claire, please stay with me," her voice shook, "Don't leave me." 

The brunette used the last bit of her energy to raise her hand up to cup her cheek, "I can't. I have to go, and you do too. Pick up the gun and shoot him. It's the only way."

Hope shook her head, "You can't go." 

"I have too. Its too late. I can feel myself fading away."

"But it's us, always and forever? Remember?"

Josie smiled weakly, "Yes . . . always and . . ."

Hope's voice fell, "C-Claire?"

But she was gone. Hope's jaw clenched before she grabbed the gun beside her. The cop held his up again pointing it at the red head. His hands were shaky. He'd never killed before today and he was horrified at the fact that he'd might have to do it again. But he didn't have to make that choice again. 

Hope shot the cop with no hesitation. He looked down at his chest to see a blood stain emerge from the hole in his shirt. He dropped the gun on the ground and fell to his knees before collapsing to the ground.

Hope tossed the gun aside again before looking down at Josie's cold and still body. Her lips parted open mid sentence and her eyes wide open. Hope was used to seeing corpses but there was something unsettling and unnerving about Josie's. Maybe it's because she'd never had anyone die for her before.

She caressed her cheek before kissing her forehead, leaving a red lipstick mark. More sirens were approaching in the distance. When Hope noticed, she got up and then hopped over the fence and never looked back.

She got away, but was it worth it?

In the real world, Josie's phone rang. Her eyes fluttered open before she reached over to her night stand to retrieve her phone. 

Before answering she cleared her throat and said, "Hello?"

"Josie?" A sweet velvety voice said on the other line.

"H-Hope?" Josie asked sitting up in shock.

"I shouldn't of let the song finish."

Josie's eyebrow twitched.

"Please say something."

"My mom told me not to talk to you."

She heard Hope smile over the line, "It was the motorcycle, wasn't it?"

"No, it was the me dying part actually."

"We really need to talk about that."

Josie didn't want to involve herself with Hope but she had to know. She had to know everything from her point of view.

"Talk."

"About what?"

"You have fifthteen minutes to explain yourself."

"Explain what exactly?"

"Hope Mikaelson's side of the story."

"Okay well, everything I told you about my past is true. I was born with an obligation to the howlers. I was Klaus Mikaelson's daughter so one day I had to become the alpha. And you know, I thought that's all my life would ever amount up to be. But then I started having the dreams. I didn't understand what was happening at first I thought I just had an overactive imagination. Every dream was always so exciting at first but they always ended the same. And I'd awaken with an insufferable pain that I couldn't shake. So I became obsessed with you. Obsessed with the highs and lows of loving you. I'd purposely oversleep with the intention of seeing you again. It was the only way I could get closer to the truth. The girls that looked like you died while the girls that looked like me, were heart broken over it. Over and over again. So I had to know if you were real . . . and so I researched and compared the portraits I made with historical records."

"You researched hundreds of people just to make sure I was real?"

"Yeah, like I said I thought the whole thing was total bullshit so I had to prove it to myself too. And besides I guess a part of me kind of believed that there was something more to this too.

"Then what did you do?"

"By then, sky found me while I was living in a foster home. She showed me her magic and I was inclined to believe everything she told me. I'd never seen anything like her. She told me she could help me find you and that she'd tell me everything about our ties. So I agreed to work with her. That's why we made that chart to track you. And by the way, was a pain in the ass because you moved a lot. Sky tried to get to you first but your mom was too smart. She was always a step ahead. And I was stuck but you were lost. So it had to be you. You had to come back to me. I couldn't leave my foster home because I already belonged to the system. But you were free."

"And I just happened to land in mystic falls? The same place your father lead the most prolific gang in the area?"

"That was a coincidence. I was in the town over and sky was tracking you until you ended up here. She'd just been more stealthy about it. But even after you were in the right place at the right time, I couldn't be. I was stuck. So I had to wait until I turned eighteen to emancipate myself so I could move to mystic falls not only to meet you but to step into my responsibility with the howlers."

"So, the whole thing was a lie?"

"I'll admit, I did go with the intention of stringing you along until the curse kicked in, but a part of me couldn't help but start to like you. I want to believe that I'm being influenced by the curse and none of it is actually me, but I don't know anymore."

Josie's jaw clenched. She should've known. Hope Mikaelson was just using her. Just because the universe was forcing them together, that didn't mean that it was out of love. The universe was perverting their mind and their hearts with an illusion of epic love. 

"I hate you."

Hope's hand tightly gripped her cellphone, "Josie-"

"You used me. And for what? Just to fulfill some stupid universal promise? I don't owe anything to you or this world."

"You're the sun. You gave life to everything on this planet. It's your duty," A woman's voice said behind her.

Josie jumped up and dropped her phone onto the floor. She turned around to see the shape shifting woman.

"How did you-"

"I'm a witch remember? I can pretty much do whatever I want."

"You can't just teleport in here whenever you want. I have boundaries."

Sky rolled her eyes, "I've been after you for years, I think I'm entitled to show up whenever I'm needed."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Well I'm just here to remind you of your duty."

"Well I don't want it."

"This isn't about what you want. It's about fulfilling your purpose. I don't think anyone ever wants to die, but in this case your actions have consequences. Consequences that hurt the people you've grown to love. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Josie's jaw clenched. Of course she cared about her friends and her family. What a stupid question. But even so, she couldn't help but reject her fate. There had to be a way out of it. But Hope and Sky weren't interested in finding it. 

Josie felt helpless. She didn't have control over her life, she never did. She was just a pawn, disposable and unworthy of autonomy. And that reality deeply unsettled her. 

"Sometimes I just want to take this future you laid out for me and smash it to-"

"There's no time for this. The longer you wait the worse it'll become. You can't run away anymore."

"I have the freedom to choose!" Josie yelled.

Sky stifled a laugh, "For all of us?"

Josie's lips parted.

"If you decide to deny your fate, your choosing chaos and putting everyone you love in danger. All the life you created will cease to exist because you're being selfish. You can't value your life over the millions of others that depend on yours to end. It's the greatest sacrifice, don't you think?"

"And I'm just supposed to believe that the world is gonna end if I decide to live?"

"You can wait and find out, but I'd suggest you avoid it."

"Well, what do you care if the world ends. You're immortal, aren't you?"

The sky glared at her, "You're right. I don't care. But I was given a responsibility that I have to fulfill if I want to keep all of these gifts."

"Oh, I get it now," Josie smirked mischievously, "You're afraid of death."

Sky stepped back, unease quickly manifesting inside of her.

"If you don't get me and Hope to go through with this, you're forced to deal with your fate."

Sky laughed and shook her head, "For being a selfish brat, you sure are smart."

"I'm not like Hope. I may be her soulmate but that doesn't mean I'm going to go along with everything you say."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hope said crawling through Josie's window.

The brunette turned around to meet her eyes.

"What the hell? Does everyone just think they can come in whenever they want?"

"You left me on the line and heard you arguing with Sky. I had to come to make sure you were okay. Besides, we have things we need to talk about."

"I don't feel like seeing you right now."

"You said fifthteen minutes. You gave me five. I still have ten more."

Josie groaned in defeat, "You're lucky I'm a woman of my word. But I want her out. I want to talk to you alone."

Hope gave Sky a look.

"Oh, I'm leaving but not because she asked me too. I have better things to do than argue with a selfish brat."

"That's rich coming from you," Josie quipped.

Sky rolled her eyes before raising her hand and disappearing along with a gush of wind that had entered the room.

Josie crossed her arms, "Time starts now."

"Look, I know this whole thing is hard for you to hear. If I were you, I'd want to run."

"And what if I did?"

"You can try but we'd find you again. You're tied to me by a thread. The universe will rearrange itself to bring us together again. And besides, now you're stuck with me."

"What do you mean?"

"The day you met me and decided you liked me, was when the cycle began. You've already activated the curse. To complete it, we have to fall in love."

"And what if I refuse?"

"Then the world will undergo chaos. You're supposed to be the vessel for the sun while I'm the moon." 

"So?"

"We have to carry the burden of their love, and if we don't, then they're forced to carry that burden and eventually, it'll be too much for them to handle. They'll be forced to accept their fate and the pain that comes with it."

"And? I'm supposed to care why?"

"Because it'll cause a series of plagues that'll roam the earth and kill everyone."

"That's it?" Josie played along, "I'm oddly okay with that."

"You are?"

"Well no, but I don't want to die anymore. It's exhausting. I cant keep doing this with you anymore. Maybe it's time that we end everything once and for all."

"You're okay with wiping the life off this planet?"

Josie shrugged, "I mean humans dont really deserve to live anymore, dont you think? All they do is pollute the planet and fight eachother because of their differences. They're also greedy and self-centered. So why should I give up my life, to save people who don't even appreciate being alive."

"I get what you mean. There's lots of humans who kind of deserve it but not everyone. There's good people out there like our friends. Do you really think Lizzie and Lola deserve to die?"

Josie avoided her gaze, "No, I guess not."

"And your mom?"

"I see what you're trying to do, its not gonna work." 

"And what about me?"

"What about you?"

"You're okay with letting me die?"

Brown eyes met blue.

"You were okay with letting me die so, yeah."

"I wasn't okay with it."

"Please, you knew all about this and you still decided that it was okay to get involved with me to start a stupid cycle. You lead me on knowing my life was at risk."

"Josie-"

"You chose for me. You chose to activate the curse and lied to me."

"I had too," Hope's voice shook, "The chances of you believing me were low. I didn't have another option."

"So you decided that it was okay to lead me to my eventual death?"

"At first, no. But the closer I got to finding you, the more I realized that I couldn't change your fate. I tried finding a way to break the curse but it's impossible. This curse has become a part of the natural order."

"So you just gave up?"

"I had too," Hope shrugged, "I'm sorry but this hasn't been easy for me either."

"Please, you get to live a normal life and forget all about this once I croak. What the hell are you worried about?"

"Because there was one flaw in that plan."

Josie rose her brow.

"I care too much. This is a burden for me too. But times up and we can't do anything anymore. So naturally, I didn't want to be a part of this anymore. I wanted to find you and get it over with. You'd die and I'd live. Thats the way it's always been."

Josie's heart dropped as reality sinked in. She knew everything was a lie but even so, she wanted Hope to tell her it wasn't. She wanted Hope to fight for her but Hope didn't even like her. She only met Josie to set her up to die. She wanted to get it over with so she could return to her normal life. It was as if she was disposing of a minor inconvenience in her life. Josie felt used. But what haunted Josie the most was that all this time, was that Hope lied to her. And for what? To fulfill a prophecy that she didn't even choose to be a part of? Had she been living a lie this whole time? Was anything real? If she really was a pawn, what was the point of being born just to die? Had her life, her friends, her goals and dreams never mattered to begin with? 

"Josie."

Brown eyes met blue. This time, Josie's stare was blank and unreadable. Her eyes void of the same kindness and love that they had before.

"I want you to know that I wasn't pretending. The Hope you met was the real me. Not everything was calculated. Not everything went according to plan. I started to feel things. But now that you know the truth, nothing can be the same."

"No, you pretended to like me just so you could make me fall in love with you so I could die and you could be free from your burden. Of course you don't care because you'll never love anyone else more than you love yourself."

Hope clenched her jaw, "I tried Josie. I really did but theres nothing we can do. That's just how it is. I can't change it and neither can you! You haven't merged with your true self yet. You don't know how much it hurt to see you die over and over again and not being able to do anything about it. I have the pain of a thousand suns. You didn't have to live with that burden. You died at the happiest point of your life. But I had to sit with the guilt and the pain of losing you over and over again. So don't blame me for wanting to save myself from heartbreak just this one time. From saving myself from this universal trap we're cursed with!"

Tears stained Josie's eyes as her chest began to hurt. She was beginning to feel things she never knew were inside of her. An immense sadness over came her but most of all, an intense rage filled her heart. Whether this curse was real or not, Josie knew one thing. She hated Hope Mikaelson. 

"Fuck you," Josie managed to say before turning away from her. Hope grabbed her wrist and pulled her back towards her. They locked eyes. Hope then grabbed Josie's collar before pulling her close to kiss her. Josie didn't fight back this time. Why would she? A part of her wanted this . . . a part of herself that she couldn't control. Hope Mikaelson was irresistible. Everything inside her wanted Hope. But that's exactly why she had to stay away from her. After all, loving Hope was a side effect of the magic. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.

Josie pushed Hope of her before wiping her lips with the back of her hand.

"Why did you stop?"

"Because I can't trust you."

That's true, but you won't be able to resist me. That's how this goes. There's no use in fighting it."

Josie laughed, "And you expect me to believe you're not fighting it either? You're hellbent on letting me die and then you go around kissing me like nothing's wrong? I know you don't actually care about me. So you're just acting on your urges. I know you get them too. They're unbearable, aren't they?"

Hope's gaze fell, "I might not be able to control myself but I'm not going to let my feelings get in the way of my duty."

Josie crossed her arms.

"Besides what's so bad about giving in? I know you want me."

"Because . . . I can't trust myself either," Josie said meeting Hope's gaze.

Hope's lips parted.

"I can't let myself fall in love with you. Not until I find a way to stop this curse."

"If you let me, I'll make your last days the best days of your life."

"Don't you get it? Loving you isn't the same as it was before," Josie paused figditing with her ring on her finger, "Now that I know, it's setting myself up for heartbreak too. You don't really love me, or else you'd want to find a way to stop this. You want me to die to free yourself of your burden and that's . . . that's not love." 

"You're right. I don't love you but that doesn't mean that I have to in order to be interested in you."

"Just find someone else to bang. There's plenty of girls who'd kill for the chance."

Hope glared at her, "Maybe I will."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Fine."

Josie glared back at her with the same intensity. Hope smirked in amusement. Her blue eyes traveling up and down Josie's body. She noticed how well her hips looked in those pajama shorts and how her white t-shirt was see through. She noticed that she wasn't wearing a bra.

"My eyes are up here."

"I know."

"You're insufferable."

"And you're a tease."

"And you're a lying manipulative bitch."

"Maybe, but at least I own it."

"Stop acting like you're into me. It's not working."

Hope rolled her eyes, "You're starting to get on my nerves with this whole defiance act."

"Good it's not like you like me anyway."

"You know, maybe I'd like you better if you took off your clothes."

Josie blushed.

"What's wrong? Are you nervous?" Hope asked inching towards her. A smug smile on her face now.

Josie stepped back until her back hit the wall behind her.

Hope continued to approach her until they were only an inch away from each other. They were close, almost touching. Her eye's ravenously devouring her as mischief came to her mind.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving in," Hope replied before her hands found the brunette's waist and pulled her close. Pressed against her like that, Josie could feel Hope's chest rise and fall, her desire unmistakable. She then closed the gap between their lips. Josie melted into the kiss, desperate for more. She could feel herself fall into the spell of Hope's lips. It made her want to do the unexpected, so she did. She grabbed Hope's hand and slipped it in. Hope's lips curled up into a satisfied smile. She pleasured Josie to the the point where she was starting to struggle for air. Hope pulled away and started to plant wet kisses all over her neck. Josie's finger nails digging into Hope's shirt and then skin. Up until now, Josie hadn't ever been with anyone like this before. She could feel an unbearable tightness build within her. And as quickly as she got there, it ended. She felt a rush of euphoria fall over her. Hope then pulled away and looked at Josie with a smug smile on her face.

"What?"

"So much for staying away."

Josie glared at her, "Like you said, I don't have to love you to be into you."

"Oh?"

"This didn't mean anything though, it was just for fun."

"Fun, right . . ."

"It's never happening again though. That was just to get it out of my system."

Hope's lips curled up into a smirk before she backed away and put her hands up, "Fine, whatever you say."

"I mean it."

"We'll see about that," she told her before throwing her leg over the window seal.

"Where are you going?"

"Home? I didn't think you were going to ask me to stay."

"I wasn't," Josie smiled mockingly.

"Good."

"Fine."

"Good!"

"Fine!"

And with that, Hope hopped off and left Josie already regretting the night she shared with her. She hated herself for being so weak. She was falling for Hope's tricks. She had to be better than this if she wanted any chance of finding a way to break the curse. It was now or never because in this life, for the first time, she had the power to change and control her fate. But staying away from Hope was going to be the biggest challenge of all. But she had to do it. She had to beat Hope at her own game.

—

**Author's Note:**

> If you like the story, spare some kudos! Thx a bunch!


End file.
